Meister's Never Tell
by xXstarryXnightXx
Summary: After the defeat of Asura, everyone returns to normal for a while. After months of people bullying her, Maka Albarn has finally taken their words seriously. Hiding her self-hate and her pain, she only sinks farther down into a serve depression she can't escape. (This is a SoMa story)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Being one of the top meister's and the scythe wielder of the last death scythe, things were supposed to get better. For a while, everything was fine, but with five-second fame comes the expiration of that five seconds when everyone pretty much forgets what you've done. A lot of students at the DWMA resented Maka, especially the other meisters. They either didn't think she did what should've been done or they simply envied her for what she did. It was hard enough fighting and surviving and with Lord Death's return with Kid helping him out, Maka wasn't really sure if anyone really was the same after that battle.

Spirit was at least proud of her, but still continued to be a player after all this. Even after all this, Maka still resented her father, but in all honestly, that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it was something she hid from everyone and refused to expose to her friends; she cared too much to let them worry about her. A year after the battle with the Kishin Asura, things begin to change again.

The sound of an alarm ringing woke Maka. She groaned and sat up to hit the button. She slammed her palm onto the button and it was silenced. She yawned and stretched out her arms, tired after staying up until midnight studying for Dr. Stein's test. Maka looked at the window above her bed and saw the sunlight outside bleeding into her room dimly, showing that it really was six o'clock. That gave her two and a half hours to get to Dr. Stein's classroom before she and Soul would be late.

Maka was never late because she always had time to get ready and do whatever she needed before school. When she climbed out of her bed, Maka rubbed her eyes and went to wake soul up. She left her room and walked down the hall to Soul's bedroom door. Knowing Soul, Maka was ready to Maka-Chop him awake. She even subconsciously picked up a book on her way out of her room without noticing. She knocked on the door and said loudly, "Soul, get up! It's six o'clock already!"

With that, she heard a loud groan from the otherside of the door. She said through the door, "Five minutes, Soul."

He groaned again and Maka walked down the hall and to the kitchen. _Do I really have to cook today? I really don't feel like it,_ she thought tiredly.

Maka looked around and decided it was cereal day. She got a brand that was made of only marshmellows and set it on the table. She even gathered two bowls and spoons. She would get the milk out whenever Soul got this lazy butt out of bed.

Maka finally sat down on the couch and started watching TV. About a minute later, she heard a trudging white-haired albino walk in from the hallway. "Morning," Maka said without looking at Soul.

He yawned and replied sleepily, "Morning. What's for breakfast?"

"Cereal."

Soul paused. He starred and watched over Maka. He said, "You look tired as hell. Did you stay up late again?"

Maka nodded. "Yeah, I was up late studying for Stein's test today."

"Maka, the test isn't today. It's tomorrow."

Maka paused and looked at him. She was convinced it was that morning, not Wensday. Soul laughed and said, "I finally remembered something you didn't."

Maka nodded and said with a fake smile, "Yeah, I guess so."

His expression went almost blank and he asked, "You alright, Maka? You never forget anything."

She nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess I was just a little too worried about studying."

He nodded, not asking anything else. He went over to the fridge and opened it up. He pulled out the milk and said, "Alright, well, we should probably eat before we have to go."

She nodded and got off the couch. She walked into the kitchen and sat down. When she did, she and Soul just did their own things. After pouring milk and cereal, they started eating. Soul said, "Hey, I'm gonna hang out with Black Star after school today and tomorrow, but I'll be home in time for dinner."

Maka just nodded and said, "OK, don't forget you're cooking tonight."

"Right," Soul groaned, slightly annoyed with having to cook dinner.

They continued eating in silence, and after finishing, Soul got up and put his bowl in the sink. He walked over to the couch and looked to see what was on TV. He sat down just as Maka got up to put her bowl in the sink. She glared over her shoulder at Soul and looked away. There was no reason to stare when she knew he didn't need to know anything more than he already did. There was no reason to let him know anything she didn't want him to know. It was her problem, not his.

After walking to school, Maka felt tired and wanted to go home. Soul walked beside her, thinking to himself with his red headphones on. She didn't really notice but she honestly kept her head tilted down as she walked with a frown on her face. She didn't really care if anyone saw her natural frown, but she did care if they saw her moping around like an empty zombie. That didn't really make her friends too happy when they saw her like that, but sometimes, they just didn't really notice enough to care.

Maka kept walking up the last few steps to school when she saw Black Star and Tsubaki talking with Kid, Liz, and Patty. She and Soul walked towards them and waved. Everyone looked at them and either waved or said hi. Tsubaki said, "Good morning."

Maka smiled and said, "Morning. How are you guys?"

Black Star laughed. "How is your loyal and bright god you ask? Wonderful as always!"

Everyone ignored his remark and Soul took off his headphones, laying them around the base of his neck. He asked, "What about you, Kid?"

Kid shrugged and said, "I cannot complain I suppose. Liz and Patty's boobs are finally the same size and they're finally the same height."

Liz whacked him on the back of the head and scolded, "Thanks for announcing that, Kid! It's not everyone's buisness!"

He rubbed the back of his head while Patty laughed childishly and mocked him. Tsubaki said, "So, how are you two?"

Soul said with a smirk, pointing his thumb at Maka, "Besides this one staying up all night to study for a test that's not even today, I think we're doing just fine."

Maka had half the mind to Maka-Chop him for that, but she didn't. Tsubaki looked at Maka. "Is everything okay, Maka?"

How in the world could she have known Maka wasn't okay? Maka smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Soul muttered, "You really shouldn't stay up all night studying, it's bad for your health."

Maka and Tsubaki glared at him as he casually walked over to Kid and Black Star. At that point, Maka was trapped. Tsubaki usually stayed smiling and cheerful, but this time, she looked worried. She asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Tsubaki. I'm fine."

"Maka, you know, if you need to talk to someone, we're all here for you. Soul will listen to you; he's your partner. He cares a lot about you," Tsubaki said, not even hesitating.

She was different from anyone in the EAT class. She was the nicest, and she cared a lot about almost everyone. She only ever got really upset when someone picked on her friends or dared to try and put Black Star down. She'd break someone's finger if she got mad enough, and Maka knew that. That's another reason she respected Tsubaki; she actually cared, or at least put on a good act. Either way, Maka still knew she was really her friend. She and Tsubaki talked about what would be on the test the next day, which really worried Maka because once again, she wanted the best grade.

After about ten minutes, the ten minute warning bell rang. Everyone around was scrabling to get inside while they walked to class, dressed in their normal school uniforms. Being the new uniforms were issued, Maka didn't wear her long black coat, she just wore her white long sleeve shirt, her jacket with a skull over her heart, and her black skirt. She didn't really mind wearing the black tie with another skull on it either, but Soul and Black Star did. All the girls had to wear either a black skirt or black pants, while the boys wore the same thing they did, but had to wear pants.

Reguardless, Maka still didn't mind going to school. She actually liked the idea of uniforms, but everyone else didn't. Kid even threw a tantrum because his jacket wasn't symetrical. He even had to hand sew another skull on the other side of his jacket to keep from having another meltdown.

"Maka."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Maka glared at Black Star and Tsubaki, who wanted her attention. She fell back and walked in the back of the cluster with them. Black Star crossed his arms and said with a serious face, "Something's not right here. Why are you frowning?"

Maka smiled weakly. "I'm fine, really. I'm tired for studying late is all."

Black Star and Tsubaki kept starring at her as they walked. They knew something was up with her, and that was a problem. Maka wanted nobody to know, especially her friends. She just couldn't face up to the facts that maybe it wasn't fair what had been going on since Asura was defeated, but somehow, she felt like she deserved it. In that way, she couldn't really defend herself in that mannor. It was stupid, petty things anyways. Why did she care?

Black Star said lowly, "You understand that if I found out there's something you're not telling us, I'll tell Soul, if he doesn't know by now that is. So, what's the matter?"

Maka answered, "Nothing."

He and Tsubaki just starred at her, observing her as if she were a target to eliminate by force. By the time they made it to class, they'd stop talking to her directly and join in a group converstaion with Soul and Kid while Patty and Liz talked about getting their nails done in class. Maka stayed silent, walking along, looking and feeling tired. They got in the doorway just as the bell was about to ring. Dr. Stein wasn't in class yet when the bell rang. At this time, everyone went to their seats like usual, talking amoung themselves.

When this happened, Maka asked Soul, "Where is Dr. Stein?"

Soul shrugged and said, "Not sure, but he's late. Yet the rest of us have to be on time unless we want detention in the library."

Maka sighed. "I'd love to be in the library right about now."

"I'm sure you would, bookworm."

Maka rolled her eyes and pulled out a book from her school bag. She opened it and Soul asked, "What kind of book is that?"

"A book about things you wouldn't care about."

Soul looked as if he were about to ask a question and he was tired of holding it back. He asked lowly, "So, what did Black Star and Tsubaki talk to you about earlier?"

Maka froze. He knew something was up. She smiled and said, "Nothing, they just asked if I were alright. I told them I was just tired."

Soul nodded, clearly not buying her story about how she was just "tired" and stayed up too late. That wasn't all of it, and even Tsubaki and Black Star knew it. If they found out-

"Attention EAT class!"

Maka was intrupted once again, but this time, she saw Sid standing at Dr. Stein's desk. The room quieted down as Sid said, "Due to an emergency, Dr. Stein won't be here today. I'll be keeping an eye on you kids for the day, so don't cause any trouble. You can get up and talk, just don't fight."

Everyone started talking after he finished speaking. At this time, Maka rolled her eyes and started reading her book. At this time, she felt something hit the bakc of her head. She glared behind her and saw two girls, trying to act as if they were having a pointless conversation before something was thrown at Maka. Maka picked up a ball of paper and noticed Soul was already talking with Black Star and Tsubaki.

Maka put the paper on her lap and opened it before anyone noticed what she was doing. She saw the note they'd written to her.

 **What an ugly, flat-chested, little nerd.**  
 **Go away and leave.**  
 **It's not like anyone wants you here anyways.**

Maka folded up the paper and put it inside of her book, trying to hide it in case anyone saw her opening it. _People are just as nice as ever. What do they know anyways? They don't know me,_ Maka tried to convince herself.

That wasn't the first note she'd gotten thrown at her, and it wouldn't be the last by far. Maka sighed and closed her book. Suddenly, she didn't feel like reading anymore. Maka took out her notebook she kept for her own personal use in her bag. She opened it and dug out a pencil. She started writing, pretending that maybe nobody would care about her enough to pick on her anymore. When she did, Soul looked at her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Maka was finally annoyed. Could she not catch a break? She sighed and replied, "Writing something. I don't really feel like reading right now."

Soul was shocked. "Wait, the biggest bookworm in the world just said she didn't feel like _reading_?"

Maka cursed herself out. She normally read, she had to pretend she was having a normal day. She just shrugged and said, "Sometimes, I just don't wanna read is all. It's just an off day."

Soul wasn't convinced. Maka just kept writing, trying to mind her own buisness.

 **The moon falls too soon,**  
 **The dead of night is said and done.**  
 **There is no more war on the moon,**  
 **I won't be seeing the ending,**  
 **It's past the end and we begin again.**

After she finished writing those few lines, she realized that about ten minutes went by. At that moment, she saw someone run into the room and saw Dr. Stein walk in. Sid stood up and whispered something to Dr. Stein. Dr. Stein shook his head and Sid looked as if something grim just came up. Dr. Stein looked at his students as they all starred in silence. He said, "Everyone, return to your seats. Sid and I need to speak with you about something you may already know about."

After everyone rushed to their seats, Maka closed her notebook and looked at them. Dr. Stein asked, "Does anyone in this room notice something?"

Nobody spoke; they just looked around like lost puppies. Dr. Stein looked upset and slightly angry. He said, "For those of you who haven't noticed yet, I'm about to inform you about what some of your classmates may be talking about. Right now, we have a NOT student who was found in the boys dormitory last night who died this morning. What you should notice is that about two of your classmates aren't here. That's because they're the reason this student decided that they would rather die than to feel as if nobody cared for them.

"I want to make it clear that if any of you had anything to do with this, you will face your judgement with Lord Death himself. We've never lost a student to suicide, and let me make this clear that this is not going to be taken lightly. As teachers, we are concerned with the wellbeing of every student in this school, therefore, if any of you or your friends need to talk, we're all here. This school is about to invoke a new school rule to make sure this never happens again."

Dr. Stein paused and glared around the room, so did Sid, both looking grim and almost worried. Dr. Stein twisted the head of the screw in his head and said, "Tomorrow, there will be an accembly and all students will be there to mourn the dead. I won't be here much longer, but I will be here afterschool for anyone who needs to speak with me about anything. Dr. Stein glared in Maka's direction, almost looking into her soul.

He shifted his eyes to everywhere in the room. He said, "For the rest of the day, Sid will be here in my place until the last bit of class today. We're not changing classes today, so get confortable."

He turned to Sid and they began talking just as the class did. Soul starred at Dr. Stein and Sid and said grimly, "I didn't think anyone at the DWMA would ever commit suicide. I mean, sure, there are the kids who don't do much, even in the NOT class, but still."

Maka nodded, trying to accept the fact that she was pretty sure Dr. Stein was really sensing every soul in the room, trying to find anyone who he deemed needing his help. She was hoping it was just a coincidence, but Maka knew deep, deep down it wasn't. At that moment she heard someone chuckling from behind her and another ball of paper hit her on the back of the head. She got annoyed and picked it up quickly. Soul watched and asked, "What's that?"

Maka said, "Nothing. It just hit me on the back of the head."

Soul nodded, understanding that students even in the EAT class were that immature. He turned to Black Star and Tsubaki and talked to them about what Dr. Stein just said to them. For the first time, Maka actually opened the note and there was something she'd never read before on it.

 **Hey, Maka, why don't you kill yourself too?**  
 **It would make us all SO much happier.**  
 **Kill yourself, you flat-chested bitch.**

Maka starred down at the paper and folded it up, but this note went into her pocket. Nobody had ever told her to go kill herself. Maka let her head go down a little. She opened her notebook back up and started writing again, trying to pass the time and let the world fade around her.

When the lunch bell rang, everyone rushed out of class to go get lunch. Maka got up after Soul and he stopped her right before they went down the steps. He asked, "What was the note?"

Maka tried to play stupid. "What note?"

Soul said bitterly, "Don't play stupid, Maka. What was the note that was thrown at you?"

Maka sighed and said, "Nothing, Soul. It's stupid."

He asked, "Really? I don't tihnk Dr. Stein and Sid would say the same thing."

Maka tensed up. Soul held his hand out and said, "Hand it over."

Maka gripped onto the book in her hand and sighed. She opened it and handed him the first note. He opened it and read it. He looked at her and asked, "Who threw this at you?"

"I don't know," Maka lied.

Soul growled lowly and said, "This is not cool, Maka. Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Soul growled, "Of course it is, Maka. Nobody has the right to say this to you."

She looked down, feeling as if he were scolding her for no good reason. She said lowly, "I'm sorry, Soul. I didn't really care and I should've told you anyways."

He nodded and said, "Good, now come on before I have to fight somebody for food."

Maka nodded and they continued out of the room, all while Sid and Dr. Stein were watching them carefully, but just enough for Maka to noice. When she walked along in the halls with everyone, she decided to get out of eating lunch. She said, "I'll catch up later."

Tsubaki asked, "Where are you going, Maka?"

"Bathroom."

Everyone just nodded and kept walking along while Maka rushed off to the bathroom, trying to get as far away from people as she could. She walked to the wooden door of the girl's bathroom and went inside, shutting the door behind her. She rushed into the stall on the end of the wall, planning to hide in there until everyone had left the hallways. She pulled out the last note that had been thrown at her and read it over and over again. She didn't understand why people had to hate her or why they picked her, they just did.

Maka kept reading the note until she heard someone walk into the bathroom. She heard laughing and an annoying voice said, "Her face was priceless. Surves that little goody-two-shoes right. She's nothing but a show off. She's weak and pathetic. Without Soul, she'd be dead by now. Hell, it would probably be better if the little bitch died."

Maka felt a tightness in her chest building up. She had to leave. She waited for them to leave, but someone said, "Someone's in here."

At that moment, three pairs of feet rushed to where Maka was. One girl slid under the stall door as Maka backed away from it. A girl with blonde hair laughed and said, "Look what we have here; Maka Alburn."

She slid in and unlocked the door before Maka could do anything. When the door opened, two other girls were behind it. One Maka knew was named Naomi, and the other was Hana. They laughed and Naomi, the girl with redish-brown hair said mockingly, "Well, well, if it isn't Maka Alburn. What, did our notes make you cry, Bookworm?"

Maka hissed, "What's your problem?"

Naomi looked as if she were about to either laugh or say something clever. She said, "Listen, Alburn, you're just a flat-chested-know-it-all. You're a show off and nobody likes you. Get it?"

Maka felt a stab in her chest, but she stood her ground. She said, "At least I'm one of the top five of the EAT class."

Naomi snorted. "I'm eighth of our class, and you're going to fall sooner or later. You're no better than a NOT student."

Maka tried to get out, but the blonde girl grabbed her by the pigtails and yanked her towards Naomi. Suddenly, Maka was shoved head first into the wall. She winced as her temple started to throb and someone kicked her in the ribs. Maka winced and Naomi stood above her. She said, "Stay there on the floor like the weakling you are."

They rushed out before Maka could attempt to block out the pain in her ribs. They weren't broken, but it still hurt. She sat up slowly, letting the words they had just spat out at her go through her head. At that moment, the bathroom door opened.


	2. Chapter 2

"Maka, are you alright?"

Maka nodded as Tsubaki walked over. Maka was already on her feet, trying to keep her cool. Tsubaki asked, "What's the matter?"

Maka said calmly, "Nothing, I'm fine. My stomach has been hurting all morning, you know. Female reasons."

Tsubaki just nodded, and asked, "Would you like to go to the nurse? I can walk you up there."

Maka shook her head and said, "No, they've got enough to deal with. I'll be alright."

Tsubaki walked towards the door and Maka washed her hands. She shook them dry and they left, walking to the cafeteria. When they got to the table they always sat at, Soul eyed her. He asked, "Everything okay?"

Maka nodded and sat down, trying to ignore the throbbing in her skull. She said, "Yeah, everything's fine."

Tsubaki kept starring at her just as she did earlier, but Maka ignored it as much as she could. Her pocket felt heavier than before she went into the bathroom, but when she left, it felt as if a rock were in her pocket instead of a piece of paper. While everyone ate lunch, Maka felt no desire to eat. Soul glared at her when lunch was half over.

He asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Maka shook her head and said, "No, I'm not hungry."

Soul muttered, "Alright."

Maka felt like she was once again being scolded. She honestly wasn't hungry. She listened to everyone else carry on their conversations about how school was going for them until the bell rang. She got up and said, "See you guys in class."

She rushed away before anyone could ask her what she was doing. She ran over to the trash can and ripped up the note in her pocket. She let out a sigh and realized she left her book in class and that she'd forgotten all about it. She walked back to class alone, only to almost be tripped in the hall. She almost hit the floor, but she managed to stop herself, watching Naomi and her friends chuckle along. Maka cursed under her breath and continued to class. She felt as if she could buy into what they were saying about her. Maybe she was worthless and she really should just go away. When Maka sat down at her seat, she realized it would be a very, very long rest of the day.

After the bell ran at the end of the day, Maka gathered her books in no hurry. Soul asked, "What are you doing when you get home?"

Maka shrugged. "Probably going to read. What are you and Black Star doing today?"

Soul said, "Nothing much, probably just going to play basketball."

Maka just nodded, still paying attention as she finally put her book in her bag. She closed everything up and threw her bag over her shoulder. She said, "See you tonight."

Soul nodded and waved as he walked over to Black Star and they left the classroom. Maka noticed Dr. Stein was already back in class. She meant to ask him about their test tomorrow being there was going to be an accemby the next day. She walked over to Dr. Stein and noticed he was talking to Sid. Maka stood there, waiting patiently. Sid and Dr. Stein both looked at her, ending their conversation. Dr. Stein said, "Good afternoon, Maka. How are you doing?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine I guess. I had a question about the test we're supposed to have tomorrow."

Dr. Stein smirked and said, "Sorry, Maka, the test will be Wendsay, not tomorrow. Don't worry about it, you'll do just fine."

She nodded and smiled. She said, "Have a nice day."

She waved at the two as she rushed off. Sid looked at Dr. Stein. The moment Maka left the room, Dr. Stein noticed three girls glared at him as soon as they walked through the doorway. Sid asked, "How's Maka doing these days? I never see her or the other kids anymore."

Dr. Stein said grimly, "She's been doing okay, but lately there's been something bothering her. Her soul looks clouded."

Sid asked, "What do you think it is?"

"Not sure. Whatever it is, it's gotten worse. It's starting to really show on her soul. I wonder how Soul hasn't noticed yet, if he hasn't already."

Sid said with a shrug, "Soul's not a very observant, guy. He'll probably notice some random girl in the hallway before he'd notice something's wrong with Maka."

Dr. Stein starred at the wall. He said, "Those girls are up to no good. The last three that left. They're guilty of something."

Sid rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Jeez, Stein, you read souls like you do a frog's organs."

He nodded and stood. "I need to check up on Marie and the baby in about an hour. In the mean time, I'll keep an eye on Maka's soul. After today, I don't want to see another good student too far gone."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Maka sat in her bedroom alone, thinking about what those girls had written on the notes. Maka threw away the shredded note and let out a deep breath. She felt better with the note gone and out of her pocket. She changed into her normal plaid skirt with her yellow sweater vest and white shirt. Maka sat down at her desk and sat there for a moment. _I don't really feel like studying right now. After all, the test for tomorrow was postponed until Wensday,_ Maka thought to herself.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. All she could do was read or write to get her mind off of things. At that moment, Maka's phone started ringing. She pulled out her phone and saw it was Spirit. She answered, "Hello?"

"Maka, how're you doing? It's been a week or so since we last talked," Spirit said with a cheerful tone.

Maka replied, "I'm fine, I heard about the kid who died from Dr. Stein. That's horrible."

Spirit hesitated to reply, "Yeah, it's a loss for the school. We're looking into the ones who are part of the cause of this. We believe they're students from the EAT class. We have two put up for expulsion, but that means to be determined by Lord Death and the other teachers. For now, they're not to go to class and twheir parents have been contacted. It's a real shame we have to face things like this, even now."

Maka nodded and said in a sad tone, "Yeah, it is."

Spirit cleared his throat. "Anyways, there's something I've been meaning to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"Well, I've got some work to do for Lord Death outside of the city. I'll be gone for three weeks tops. I leave next week."

Maka froze. He was... Leaving? She tried not to think about it, but it bothered her. After her mother disappeared, Maka didn't like the idea of Spirit leaving after he was on good terms with her and she really cared. He'd be leaving in a week? Would three weeks really pass by quick? Would things change in that much time?

Finally, Maka said, "That really stinks, but you'll be back in a few weeks, right?"

"If it drags out, I'll have someone take my place and I'll return to Death City."

Maka nodded. "Alright then. I've got some homework to do, but I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Spirit said, "Alright. Bye Maka."

"Bye."

She hung up before she could give her actions a second thought. She sank down into her desk chair and thought for a brief moment. _Papa's leaving... What if he disappears like Mama did? Would he just up and leave without even saying an offical goodbye? Would he really leave me alone?_ Maka thought to herself.

Maybe he would, after all, her mother never came back and the divorce is still pending. _Mom never came back and it's been almost two years. Where did she go?_ Maka wondered.

Maka's courage could only go so far. Fear was nothing to her, but facing herself and everything as it was... It was too much. There were some things that she just couldn't handle, like everyone else could. She was smaller, weaker, and in no way attractive. She was nothing like anyone else was. At the same time, she felt as if she were different for her own reasons.

At that moment, her phone rang again. She answered, "Hello?"

"Maka, hi, it's Tsubaki. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good. How about you?"

"I'm fine, just a little worried. That kid that died is really concerning. Can anyone really just die like that because they're in pain?"

Maka blinked. She replied, "Well, yeah, I mean, it happens sometimes. Hey, did they ever say how the kid died?"

"I think I heard someone say that he swallowed a lot of pills. I'm not quite sure how, but that's all I know. It's really weird," Tsubaki said quietly.

Maka lied with a cheerful voice, "Well, I'm sure they'll catch whoever else was involved. I'm sure Lord Death will make them pay."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey, do you wanna hang out with me, Liz, and Patty this weekend?"

Maka thought for a moment. She had no plans and Soul probably was going to sleep or play basketball with Kid and Black Star. Maka said, "Sure, sounds like fun."

"Great! I'll let them know. I've gotta go, bye!" Tsubaki said.

"Bye, Tsubaki," Maka said a happy tone.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _"Maka Albarn, the daughter of one of the best meisters and of one of the sleeziest death scythes ever," a voice taunted._

 _Maka looked around the dark room, trying to figure out who was speaking to her. At that moment, she saw herself, but sinister and creepy looking. She taunted, "Poor little know-it-all, can't you take a hint?"_

 _"W-What?"_

 _Her reflection snikered, "Better yet, I'll say it to directly. Nobody likes you, you're an annoying little pest, like a fly. You belong nowhere."_

 _"You're wrong!"_

 _"Look at yourself; you're weak and have no strength. You're just another disappointment!"_

 _Maka backed away, trying to forget everything. At that moment, she felt someone grab her arms. She struggled only to have her clone ball her hair in her fist and scream, "Look at what you've caused!"_

 _Maka looked forward to see the image of Soul having a blade slash across his chest. Maka screamed, "Soul!"_

 _He fell to the ground as he had the day they faced Crona. Then, Maka saw Crona have a black arrow go through his chest. Maka watched silently, trying to get free. It was all her fault, she knew that. At that moment, the last memory of seeing her mother popped into her head. She watched as her mother walked out of the court room, leaving her behind with Spirit. She yelled at her father breifly and he looked ready to cry. She stormed off after her mother, but she was already gone._

 _Maka finally started getting angry. "None of this is my fault! It's not my fault all this happened! It just happened!"_

 _Her reflection laughed and said, "Liar, liar, you skirt's on fire."_

 _Maka finally started crying, trying to get it over with, hoping her breaking would make it stop. Then, she saw Soul walk into her view. He stopped in front of her and she looked up at him. He said emotionlessly, "It's over, Maka. We're no longer partners."_

 _Maka felt as if she'd been stabbed. She cried, "Soul, don't say that!"_

 _He turned away from her and walked away. At that moment, an image flashed into her mind. A girl with two braids dressed in blue. She starred at her, dead, and empty in side. Maka cried, "Stop!"_

 _All noise stopped when the girl cut her own throat. Maka watched her body fall to the ground like she had years ago. She screamed in agony as she felt everything hitting her at once. She was weak, ugly, and all she could do was read. That's all she could do. Maka started sobbing, not understanding why this was happening. Her reflection said darkly, "Finally, you shut the hell up. About time."_

 _Maka said, "Please, stop. I get it."_

 _At that moment, her body was released all at once, causing her to fall forward at Soul's feet. He walked away and scuffed, "You're the worst meister ever."_

 _Maka stayed where she was, silently crying. At that moment, she heard laughing. She covered her ears, trying to ignore it. The laughter only grew louder and louder. Maka finally started screaming to make it go away._

"Maka, wake up, damnit!"

Maka kept thrashing, trying to get free of whoever was holding her down by her arms. She looked up to see a familiar pair of ruby eyes and white hair. Maka stopped when she saw him. She was breathing heavy, trying to calm down. Soul looked worried. He asked, "What the hell were you dreaming about?"

Maka stammered, "N-Nothing."

Suddenly, she felt his hand on her right arm move up to her forehead. His thumb brushed against a bump, making Maka wince. He starred at it curiously. He glared back down at Maka. "What did you do to your head?"

Maka said quietly, "It was an accident. I hit my head this afternoon. Can you please get off me?"

Soul stood up straight, looking at Maka with concern. He sat on the edge of her bed and starred at her. Maka sighed and said, "I hit my head when I was cleaning my room earlier."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

Soul pointed to her desk. He said, "You always clear off your desk and put your books away when you clean. There are two books on your desk from last week."

He caught her. Maka looked away and Soul said bitterly, "I'm going to ask one more time, what happened?"

She muttered quietly, "It's nothing, Soul."

He said, "For a bump to be purple, it had to have been nothing. It looks like there is a small knot on your temple. Did someone do this to you?"

Maka shook her head. Soul scawled at her. He said, "Tell me who."

She didn't do anything but stare at him innocently. Soul sighed and said, "Okay, let me rephrase myself. Either you tell me or you can tell your father."

Maka flinched. If Spirit knew, he'd tell Lord Death, and it would make everything worse. Maka sighed and said, "Fine. Some girls caught me in the bathroom and shoved me. My head hit the wall and that's it."

She crossed her arms and Soul gave her an angry look. "We're telling Dr. Stein tomorrow," he stated angrily.

"Soul, please don't. It's okay, really."

He asked, "How many?"

"How many what?"

"How many girls were there, Maka?"

"Um, three?"

That seemed to only make Soul angrier. He asked, "Why didn't you tell me? We could've fought all three and kicked their butts?"

Maka hugged her knees to her chest and said lowly, "It's not a big deal is why. They're just some idiots trying to get a laugh."

At that moment, Soul hugged her really tight. When he did that, Maka accidentally cried, "Ow!"

Soul let her go, examining her body language. She was holding her arms to her ribs. Soul asked, "Seriously, Maka? Did they gang up on you?"

Maka said, "It's not a big deal."

At that moment, Soul grabbed her wrist and asked softly, "Maka, can I see?"

She shook her head and he said, "I just wanna see how bad it is."

Maka sighed and nodded. She lifted the edge of her shirt up just enough to show her lower ribs. Soul looked ready to kill. Right where they kicked her, there was a blue and black bruise that had already formed. Soul growled, "I'm telling Stein, you didn't do anything to them."

"Soul, it's fine," Maka said, trying to calm him down.

"How is this okay, Maka? Did you even get the chance to fight back?"

"Well, I didn't fight back. Besides, I deserve it."

Soul's eyes filled with shock. Maka slowly pulled her shirt down and she said, "I just wanna forget about it. If it happens again, I'll go to Dr. Stein, but it's no big deal."

Soul's eyes filled with something Maka wasn't sure about. She'd never seen it before. Soul said lowly, "Maka, this isn't cool. You don't deserve to get hurt."

She looked down and nodded. Soul said, "Don't be sad, that's not cool. It's really not cool for anyone to hurt you. You're my meister and I'm not letting anyone lay a finger on you."

Maka wasn't sure anymore if Soul were mad or trying to calm her. Maka nodded and rested her head on her knees. She said softly, "I'm sorry, Soul."

He patted her head and said, "It's fine, it's not your fault, just tell me next time."

She nodded and Soul said, "Now, why were you screaming?"

Maka said quietly, "I just had a bad dream. I didn't mean to wake you up, sorry."

Soul cleared his throat and said, "I was already up, and it's no problem."

Maka nodded and proceeded to tell Soul about her dream. He sat there quietly, listening, looking calmer than before. After Maka finished, Soul looked a little irritated. He said, "You shouldn't believe all those things those stuck-up girls say. You're super cool, Maka. Don't let them make you think otherwise."

Maka nodded stiffly. Soul ruffled her hair and asked, "Did you ever eat dinner?"

"No, I forgot. Besides, I'm not really hungry," Maka lied.

Soul frowned and said, "Come on, Maka. You need to eat."

Maka whined, "It's late though!"

"I don't really care, Maka. You need to eat."

She sighed and said, "Fine, I'll eat, but you need to get some sleep. What are you doing up late anyways?"

Soul shrugged and said, "Watching TV mostly."

Maka nodded and Soul starred at her. He asked, "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Maka put her head down again. She muttered, "There were two notes."

"What?" Soul said, trying not to sound shocked.

Maka got up and walked over to her chair where her jacket was. She pulled out the paper from her jacket and handed it to Soul. She sat beside him as he opened and read the note. He paused for a few moments, staying silent. He looked at Maka and she kept her head down. Soul asked lowly, "Maka, if this happens again, will you please tell me at least? This isn't cool. I know these things get to you. Your soul changes a lot when you get upset."

She nodded and Soul hugged her. Maka curled up slightly and Soul said, "You're really supposed to tell your partner these things."

Maka nodded and Soul said without warning, "By the way, you might wanna wash your face. You were crying in your sleep."

Maka's cheeks heated up and she said, "Alright, thanks."

Soul let her go and laughed. He said with a smirk, "Come on, you need to eat something."

Maka stood with Soul, realizing just how cold it was. She crossed her arms again, trying not to shake. She and Soul walked to the kitchen. She really didn't feel like eating at all, but she had to so Soul would be at ease. Maka followed him into the kitchen and she ate ramen with Soul. When they finished, Maka was shaking violently. Soul asked, "Maka, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I-I'm just really cold," Maka said with a weak smile.

Soul stood up and put his bowl and fork in the sink. When he walked to Maka, he walked up behind her and felt her forehead. He said, "Maka, you're burning up."

Maka said, "I'm fine, Soul. I just need to get some sleep is all."

Soul nodded and Maka stood up. She put her bowl and fork in the sink and said, "I'm heading back to bed. Goodnight, Soul."

Soul said, "Goodnight. I might still be up if you can't sleep. After all, it's only midnight."

Maka nodded and walked back to her room. Considering she was fuzzy pajama pants and her tank top, she was asking to freeze her pigtails off. She crawled under the several layers of blankets and curled into a ball. She turned off her lamp that she'd forgotten to turn off after Soul turned it on to wake her up. Maka felt sick to her stomach, but she tried not to think about it. At that moment, she fell asleep for a brief moment when she realized her blankets were heavier and thicker than before. She kept her eyes closed and felt something cold brush her bangs away from her eyes.

Maka tried to act asleep, but when Soul was about to leave, Maka felt a little sad. When that happened, Maka fluttered her eyes open and said softly, "Soul?"

He froze and looked at her. She sat up slightly and Soul said, "Sorry, just wanted to make sure you were warm."

Maka's face heated up and she said lowly, "Thanks, Soul."

He nodded and asked, "You need anything?"

She shook her head and said, "I'm alright. Thanks."

He nodded and said, "Night."

"Goodnight."

Soul shut the door behind him, leaving Maka feeling worried and anxious. She wasn't sure if she could sleep. After all, she never told him how she felt. She could usually block it out, but this was one of those moments she just couldn't.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Dr. Stein and Spirit looked at the ball room, now filled with chairs and a stage for the event that had been planned today by Lord Death himself. They observed Maria, Sid, and even Kid as they made sure everything was ready. Kid made sure the entire set up was perfectly symmetrical, even though he knew it didn't matter as much as the dead student they had to mourn. Today was going to be a very long, tiring, and eventful day to come, and everyone knew it deep down.

Spirit said grimly, "I feel bad for the boy's parents. I couldn't imagine losing Maka. Parents are supposed to protect their children from anything, but we slip up sometimes, too."

Dr. Stein said calmly, "This will be good for the students. After all, they'll learn a lesson that they never have before."

Spirit glared at him and saw the look Dr. Stein gets when he see a dead frog. Spirit hissed, "You cannot dissect a dead student! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Dr. Stein blinked and looked at him, trying to be innocent and confused. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about, Spirit."

Spirit rolled his eyes and said, " _Try_ not to dissect an children today."

Dr. Stein shrugged and Kid walked over. He asked, "Have you two found all those responsible?"

Spirit cleared his throat, "We think so."

Kid nodded and Dr. Stein asked, "Are the precautions ready for today's event?"

Kid nodded again and said, "Yes, everything is ready."

He nodded and Lord Death walked over. He said cheerfully, "What's up?"

Spirit said, "We've got everything ready for today. Is the situation handled for the moment?"

"As far as I can tell, yes, but things could go wrong if we're not careful. The witch Meghan is still around. This could mean trouble for us if she continues disrupting the peace the city has held for a short while after Asura was defeated," Lord Death answered with a shrug.

Dr. Stein asked, "Who exactly are you sending after Meghan?"

Lord Death said in a factual tone, "We're still deciding. We believe that sending Black Star and Tsubaki, or Kid, Liz, and Patty. Maka and Soul are also on the table, but we think Black Star and Tsubaki are our best option with Black Star's ego being so big. We're not sure why, but Meghan has a strange appeal to go towards dispear and misery. She feeds on the miserable and hopeless souls around her."

"Seeing as though Maka's soul is seeming to be distressed and clouded, it would be a bad idea to send her and Soul on this mission," Dr. Stein said apathetically.

Spirit looked at Dr. Stein and said, "That may be true for the moment, but we don't know if it's that or she's just under stress. Kids these days are stressed out by the simplest things, you know."

Dr. Stein twisted the screw on the side of his head and said thoughtfully, "True, but sometimes things aren't so simple."

Spirit stayed silent, looking away. Kid asked, finally voicing himself, "What do you mean Maka's soul is clouded?"

Dr. Stein said quickly, "Nothing, Kid. Just an observation from the other day. Don't worry about it."

He stayed silent, not saying or asking anything further. At that moment, the school bell rang. Dr. Stein sighed and said, "Here we go."

Spirit nodded grimly and the group went in different directions. Dr. Stein walked into the main hallway and headed for the Cresent Moon Class. By the time he got there, he'd seen something strange. He paused as he heard laughing and a voice taunting, "Oh, can't the big and bad meister defend herself? Or are you just that retarded?"

Dr. Stein stayed around the corner, glaring around to see three girls standing in front of Maka, who was backed against the wall. Naomi, the red-head of the group, laughed and said, "You can't read after all. Where's Soul, anyway? Did he finally ditch your stupid ass?"

Maka growled, "Leave me alone."

Naomi laughed and shoved her hard and Maka stood her ground against the wall. She hissed, "Like any of you know a thing about Soul or me for that matter."

One of the other girls looked at Naomi and said, "You know, you really should respect others, Maka. Nobody wants you here."

Maka's fists were balled and she wanted to take them all down, but she knew she couldn't do it. Naomi smirked and said, "What a loser."

She and her two friends walked into class, leaving Maka against the wall as some students pass by, rushing to class. Dr. Stein watched as Maka stood there, looking angry yet as if she were going to cry. At that moment, Soul walked out of the classroom and looked at Maka. He asked, "Maka, what are you doing out here?"

Maka gave him a weak smile and said, "Nothing, just not exactly thrilled about the assembly today."

Soul said grimly, "Yeah, well, nobody really is. It's not cool, it's selfish to die and leave everyone behind like they don't matter at all. Dying is different from killing yourself and being selfish."

Maka nodded and he put his hand on her shoulder. Her jade green eyes stared at his red eyes and Maka said grimly, "You're right."

Soul kept starring at her, observing her body language just as Dr. Stein did. Her body language gave nothing off as abnormal or different from usual. Soul asked with a straight face, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Dr. Stein waited, seeing if Maka would lie or tell the truth. Judging by the smile she gave, she was going to lie her heart out at that moment. Maka said with a slight smile, "Yeah, I'm alright. It's just a grim day today."

Soul nodded, seeming to buy into her story. He said, "Come on before Stein shows up and the bell rings."

Maka nodded and followed Soul into the classroom without another word. Dr. Stein waited until the bell rang and he started walking to the classroom. He walked inside and all the students were at their seats. Dr. Stein cleared his throat and said, "Good morning, class."

"Good morning," the students replied like usual.

Dr. Stein took role, trying not to observe the souls in the room. He could feel something wasn't right, and it wasn't just Maka. There was something different, something impure, something tainted. When Dr. Stein finished the roll, he said, "Alright, everyone, we're going to an assembly for our lost meister from the NOT class."

Everyone stayed silent as they got out of their seats and walked down the stairs to leave the room. When all the students left, Dr. Stein followed them after closing the door behind him. He watched other crowds of students walk down the hall. Dr. Stein watched as they all walked into the room prepared for the ceremony. Dr. Stein joined the other teachers up front and sat beside Spirit. Lord Death walked onto the stage and said, "Good morning, students. I'm not sure if you've all received the news, but Sunday, we lost a meister, a student, a classmate, a boy who was almost ready to join the EAT class."

All the students stared in a haze, and some were upset. Lord Death continued, "The responsible parties have been expelled from the school, however, that makes this no better."

After an hour of lecturing, he stopped and looked around the room. He said, "Weapons and meisters alike are all capable of dying in combat, but it seems there is a new threat we've never had to deal with before. As of today, a new policy is being put in place in honor of Vince. This school will now take on a zero tolerance policy on bullying and harassment. Let us hope this never happens again, but I fear, some of you may not come forward now as I tell you something important. You all matter, every last one of you. If there is ever a problem and you cannot solve it, our staff is here to help, myself included."

Everyone stayed silent. Dr. Stein watched as Lord Death looked at all the souls in the room. After a moment, Lord Death said, "The day is half over, seeing as though you all have probably been stressed about this matter, you are all dismissed for the day. Class will go back to normal tomorrow. Have a nice day."

Students rose from their seats and started talking as others left the room, going home or just leaving to talk outside the giant room of students. While Maka and Soul walked to the main doors, Dr. Stein waited for them. When they reached the doors, Dr. Stein called, "Maka, Soul, come here."

They looked at him and walked through the crowd of people and followed him as he led them to Lord Death and Spirit who stood by the stage. Soul and Maka had straight, grim faces. They usually seemed so serious when it came to speaking to Dr. Stein or Lord Death. Today, it was just a very, very grim and depressing day in general. When they reached Lord Death and Spirit, Lord Death greeted, "Hello Maka, Soul. How are you two doing?"

Soul shrugged. "Honestly, the atmosphere is depressing, it's not really cool."

Maka nodded and agreed, "Yeah, it's a little grim today."

Lord Death said, "I understand. After all, losing a student is always hard on everyone in some ways."

The partners nodded and Spirit looked at Maka with a sad look. He said with a weak smile, "At least you kids are hanging in there, right?"

Neither one answered him. Lord Death looked at the two and asked, "Have you heard of a witch by the name Meghan?"

Soul had a knowing look, so did Maka. Maka said, "There have been rumors going around that a witch named Meghan uses the misery of others to gain life force and power. They say she even drains the soul of energy."

"That's correct. We are sending out Black Star and Tsubaki out to find her. If they do not by next week, then we will send you two to find her. Nobody knows what she looks like or where she came from, but anyone who has fought her has barely survived or died. That being said, we need to find her before she strikes again in the city. Five people have been reported dead in the past month alone, and we need her to be defeated," Lord Death explained.

Soul asked, "So, if Black Star and Tsubaki don't find this witch in a week, we automatically are up next?"

"Correct, and like them, you will have one week to find her."

Soul and Maka both looked at each other. Black Star and Tsubaki were probably going to find her before they'd have the chance, so it was no rush to prepare just yet.


	3. Author's Note - 3272017

Dear readers,

Thanks so much for reading and following. Please leave reviews and ask me am questions you can or PM me about the story. I'm trying to update as much as I can but my school work is, well, a priority that cannot be ignored.

Thanks again guys,

xXstarrtXnightXx


	4. Chapter 3

The city of death and the city full of courage, bravery, and high expectations. A school with even higher expectations and even more broken dreams and lost hopes. Yet somehow, people put on their bravest face and started fighting back and made something of themselves or left their dreams behind just to made her wonder just how difficult and how hard it had to be for everyone to get back up and keep going.

She didn't understand how they could do it and how they could just let the pain do anything but control them when it wrapped around her body and controlled her like a puppet. She'd kill to be anything, or to be anyone, but herself. The blond girl sat there quietly watching the city from the top of her apartment building. She wasn't really sure what to do other than watch the outside world from high above the streets.

The city that made her feel so small only made her feel smaller looking at it from the roof of her apartment building. At that moment, Maka stood up on the slanted roof and stared down that the street below. Wouldn't just be easy to fall onto the pavement and die? Yeah, it really would be that easy. To finally be free of this nightmare. To finally have a conclusion, to finally see the end of the story and the chapters that were just not worth it anymore. Once Maka stepped towards the edge, only inches away from her death, a voice from behind her asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

Maka turned her head and saw Black Star. Maka asked, "What do you think? I'm looking at the city."

"That's bullshit," Black Star said bitterly.

Maka tilted her head and asked innocently, "What makes you say that?"

"Soul may not notice what's going on, but I do. Tsubaki told me about the incident in the bathroom, and yeah, she knew what happened the moment you started lying. You have to tell Soul, or I will," Black Star demanded.

"He already knows."

Shock spread across his face. She said, "I told him about the notes and the incident in the bathroom, so don't bother."

"Then does he know you're on the roof about to hit the pavement?" Black Star said bitterly.

His fists were clenched into balls; he was clearly pissed. Maka said, "You're forgetting I can land on my feet no problem from the top of this roof. I can't get hurt."

"That's a lie."

Maka crossed her arms and looked away. She asked, "What's it matter anyway? I'm not going to kill myself after all I've done and become."

"That better be the case, or else," Black Star barked.

The ash blond was now interested in what he thought he knew. She asked, "What makes you think there's something wrong with me? I still get good grades, I'm at the top of the class, and I honestly could do something about those girls if I really wanted to."

Black Star smirked and said, "I never said I thought something was wrong with you."

Maka's face turned red with frustration and defeat; he had her cornered. She said, "You act as if you feel that way, otherwise, you'd never think for a second there was something wrong with me. Admit it."

"I'm not the one who should be admitting anything; if anyone should, it's you," he stated coldly.

He had her cornered. At that moment, Maka stepped to the edge of the building, watching him. She smirked and said, "If you wanna prove that, try to come get me."

She took a step back, falling straight down to the pavement, landing there with the bending of her knees. She stood up straight as Black Star rushed to the edge of the roof, looking at her with horror on his face. His face filled with rage as she ran off, trying to avoid his interrogation. The moment she ran into a back alley, she kept rushing thoughts of fear in her mind. What if Soul found out about what's really going on? What if he ended up hating her or just getting mad at her?

Maka skidded to a stop, leaning against the wall.

A shadow seemed to darken across from her as a shadowed figure laughed at her; they sounded feminine. "What's your worry, dear?"

Maka said quickly, "Nothing."

Another laugh echoed in the air. "Are you so sure?"

"Yes," Maka hissed, now becoming a little angry.

The shadow walked forward, dressed in purple and black with a strangely sharp bone. Maka's mind filled with terror as she realized who that was. She stayed against the wall, unable to do anything. "W-Who are you?"

The woman with bone white skin and black lips smiled as her eyes turned yellow. "I'm Megan, also a witch. May I say, your soul looks tasty. You really have a messy life, a messy mind, and a messy soul. It seems like you honestly can't help but try to destroy yourself, no matter how much pride you put in yourself, you just hate yourself more and more by the day," Megan said with amusement.

Maka felt the dread go straight through her as Megan asked, "Would you like to know the trick to dying?"

Maka paused, trying to think of something, anything, to do but listen.

"Feel no fear, feel-"

At that moment, Black Star and Tsubaki's sword form landed between Megan and Maka. Black Star asked, "Why did you have to take the glory in finding our witch, Maka? We had it under control."

Tsubaki said sternly, "Black Star, focus."

He nodded and looked at Megan. She laughed and said, "Wonderful, you're here to witness my next victim."

Black Star's eyes filled with rage. He yelled, "What the hell did you just say?"

At that moment, Megan's eyes lit up and seemed to glow slightly. She laughed and Tsubaki transformed into a human again, lying on the ground, covering her ears. She was crying. Black Star tried to punch Megan, but she just moved aside and rushed over to Maka. She laughed and starred Maka in the eyes. At that moment, ever last bit of restrain and regard not to be selfish left her body. Megan said softly, "It's okay, child. Nobody wants you here anyways, you're useless, and you're a coward. Just accept it and move on."

Black Star howled in rage as he tried to punch her, but he missed again as Megan moved aside. She reached out to touch Maka's pigtail, but a voice hissed, "Get the hell away from my meister."

At that moment, a hand grabbed Maka's arm as Black Star punched Megan into a wall, face first. When she hit the wall, she turned into nothing but a small shadow. At that moment, Maka realized something sharp went across her wrist the moment Megan vanished. She felt the sting and blood seep from her skin. She grabbed her arm, only to realize in her right hand was a piece of glass that she didn't know she had. Soul stared at her arm, realizing that the blood was real; had Maka just hurt herself?

Maka dropped to her knees, feeling the shock and dizziness from the rush of emotions and lack making her lose control of her own body. Soul grabbed her shoulders when he knelt down in front of her. Black Star ran over to Tsubaki, trying to see if she were alright. Soul turned Maka's wrist upwards, looking down at it for a moment and then he looked back up at her. He asked, "Maka, can you hear me?"

She just nodded limply as she stared into the wall in front of her, unable to understand what just happened. Soul seemed a little angry, but remained calm. He snatched the glass from Maka's grip and threw it against the wall. Maka walked over to Tsubaki and Black Star and asked, "Are you guys alright?"

Tsubaki was sitting up with her head down; Black Star was sitting beside her. Maka got on her knees and Tsubaki looked at her with a smile. She said softly, "I'm alright. I think you should probably get your arm bandaged, though."

Maka glared at her arm. Somehow, this didn't worry her, or even hurt. Black Star looked at Soul and said, "Dude, you need to get Maka to Dr. Stein's place."

Soul nodded. "Right. Come on, Maka."

She stood up slowly and asked, "Will you guys be alright?"

They both nodded and she turned to Soul. As she started walking away, Maka wondered what happened. She wasn't sure if she was controlled by Megan to do it, or if she did it on her own. As she and Soul walked to Dr. Stein's place, Soul asked, "What did she say to you?"

"Huh?"

"Megan."

Maka shook away her clouded thoughts and said, "Nothing much, she just tried to make me feel as if I should just..."

"Just what?" Soul asked anxiously.

"Die."

He froze in his steps. Soul seemed shocked, almost unable to reason with what she'd just said. He turned to her when she stopped walking after he did. Soul asked, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Maka shook her head. Soul said with his arms crossed, "You know, I've heard about this witch from Black Star and Tsubaki. You know what they told me?"

"What?"

Soul said with a straight face, "They say she only feeds off misery; she doesn't cause it."

"Then how did this happen?" Maka asked, waving her bloody arm.

Soul frowned and said, "You and I both know why that happened. You did it to yourself because Megan made you think about how you feel deep down."

Maka's face heated up and she said, "I don't feel that way. I'm just a little off is all."

Soul turned with a shrug and started walking. Maka continued walking and they soon arrived at Dr. Stein's house ten minutes after they stopped talking. Soul walked up to the front door and knocked. It was getting dark really quick, but Soul wasn't worried about it too much, and Maka couldn't care less. A few moments passed and Maria answered the door.

Her eyes lit up with joy as the door opened. She said happily, "Maka, Soul, it's so good to see you!"

Maka and Soul stared at her and then Maria eyed them both. She gasped when she saw Maka's arm. She yelled into the house, "Stein, come here!"

There was shouting in the background and Maria said to the partners, "Come in, please."

They walked inside and Maka continued to hold her arm to her side. Marie asked, "What happened to your arm, Maka?"

Maka said, "The witch Megan."

Maria's face turned pale. At that moment, Dr. Stein walked into the room, twisting the screw in his head. He looked at Maka and Soul and asked, "What happened?"

Soul said quickly, "Maka just met the witch Megan."

Stein walked over and examined her arm. He asked, "What happened exactly?"

Maka told them what happened in the alley with Megan, leaving out what happened on the roof with Black Star. Dr. Stein said, "Well, I'll report this to Lord Death after Maka comes with me to get stitches."

Maka nodded and walked with Soul after Dr. Stein. Marie walked away to another room, leaving the three to Dr. Stein's lab. When they got in the lab, Maka sat on the metal table as instructed by Dr. Stein. Soul stood beside the table, calm and not really concerned with his meister because it was a minor injury. Dr. Stein walked over and brought some bandages. He said, "We can't sew you back together, but this should do the trick given a week or so to heal."

Maka nodded and Dr. Stein started wrapping her arm. Soul asked, "Is it true Megan only comes after people who are miserable?"

Dr. Stein answered, "We're not exactly sure, but it looks like she attacks people when they're even in the least upset. So, what's going on, Maka? Is there something going on?"

Maka shook her head. "No."

Dr. Stein looked at her curiously. "Why are you lying?"

Soul blurted out, "Because she's in denial there's anything wrong."

He glared at Soul. He tightly wrapped Maka's arm, trying to pay attention to him. Maka hissed, "Shut up."

Soul was not mad. He hissed, "If there's nothing wrong with you, why the hell did Megan come after you? Why is it so hard to talk to anyone?"

Maka felt trapped, as if she were pinned against a wall. She said lowly, "It doesn't matter."

Dr. Stein finished wrapping and he said, "Maka, either you explain to us or you tell Lord Death and Spirit yourself."

Maka explained what had happened in class the other day. Soul interjected when he found out and finally told them about what happened on the roof before encountering Megan. Dr. Stein looked at them both briefly and took out a cigarette. He lit his cigarette and took a few drags. He puffed out smoke and asked, "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Maka shrugged. "Seemed like something stupid."

"It seems to matter a lot considering it attracted Megan," Dr. Stein pointed out.

Soul crossed his arms. "This is why I tried to get you to say something, Maka."

She glared at him. "Wait, you knew about Megan before Black Star and Tsubaki got the mission to take her out?"

"Kid and Black Star talked about her at lunch when you were in the bathroom with _them_ ," Soul said, putting a bitter tone on the last part.

Maka sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think about it before."

Dr. Stein sighed and took another drag of his cigarette. He blew out smoke after a moment and said, "Let this be a lesson, Maka."

"Huh?"

He twisted the screw on his head and he replied, "You're good to go, just be careful next time."

Maka nodded and got off the table. As they walked down the hall and Dr. Stein followed, Marie waited at the door. Marie had a weak smile as she said, "I'll see you kids soon."

"Bye, Mrs. Marie."

"Bye."

Dr. Stein opened the door and the partners walked out the door. The moment the door shut, Dr. Stein turned to Marie. She asked with a serious look on her face, "Why did Megan encounter Maka? Maka wouldn't go looking for her, not without reason."

Dr. Stein sighed. "Megan found her."

Marie's expression turned grim. "Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately."

The new mother cleared her throat and replied, "That's impossible. Maka's not they type to attract Megan; she'd normally have to go looking for witches like her rather than attract them. I don't understand how..."

"I know how and it is possible."

After sitting down, Dr. Stein explained what he knew. He asked, "Should I go to Lord Death?"

"Did you promise not to?"

"No, I didn't."

Marie sighed. "Well, you know, Maka usually can take care of herself. So if things continue, report to Lord Death, I guess."

Dr. Stein nodded. "Its almost like an experiment. The only problem is I have no idea how to observe closely and terminate the variables and clauses involved in this. The worst part is, in an experiment, failure can be an option. In this case, it cannot be."

Marie looked horrified. "Are you going to tell her father?"

"Spirit? No, Maka'd kill me and he'd kill those brats," Dr. Stein replied simply.

Marie sighed. "How do we deal with something like this?"

"We don't. Our students have to, and now, this is even Maka's problem."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Spirit finally left Death City, leaving Maka in a haze. Even if he and Maka didn't get along all the time, Maka would miss him if he didn't come back. It was almost like when her parents got divorced. Maka would see her father only ever now and again, and now, he left and was going to be gone for some time. Once again, Maka felt cold and empty inside. Was this really how it had to be? Was it okay? Was it even right anymore? Maka had no idea. All she know was this; she hated herself.

Why? The reason why was simple; the problem was with those stupid kids at school. Luckily, she lied to everyone well enough after some practice, making everything normal and everyone happy... Except for her. That was fine with her; why did she deserve happiness anyways? She was a horrible; disgusting; revolting human being. She didn't deserve to feel joy; happiness; etc. It was two days after her father left that Maka was officially "normal" again according to her friends, and most of all, Soul. She didn't want him to worry about her; he shouldn't have even cared about her, yet he did anyways.

Even if it was just something that simple, to Maka it wasn't. Behind the jade green eyes that reflected joy that was false and completely fake, her soul and her mind screamed something along the lines of sobs and pleas that only made things seem worse. This day was different; this day was something that even Maka didn't see coming; this day was something strange. Maybe this day was impossible or very unlikely, but it happened and it was a day that made Maka re-think her suffering. It made ever even take her instability to very, very unhealthy.

The only thing Maka could see was the haze of lights and orbs around her. The air was brightly colored; everything was blurry and unrecognizable. Along with the strange lights, there was something more going on. The noise was all muffled and sounded as if Maka were underwater. Gravity was now a problem because it yanked her to the ground and chain her down. Her arms were glued down like magnets; never leaving the ground, but could move slowly across the surface. Her skin was ice cold, just like the air around her that made everything turn into blurry colors and lights.

The only part that made her confused was the warm feeling whirling inside her blood, even in her bones it seemed. Maybe this feeling was something that she craved the idea of feeling pain. Even if so, she still didn't understand what was going on at that moment. All she knew was that she felt cold and her body felt heavy. At that moment, she remembered Soul wouldn't be home that night because he and the guys were supposed to be staying at Kid's place that night. It was simple, yet complicated at the same time.

As the world around her lost more and more focus, Maka slipped into darkness as her body and mind were fully exhausted and couldn't take anymore of these feelings of confusion and pain. She lost her battle with it for a while, not knowing if she'd finally won her most craved prize of all; **Death**.

It wasn't much a shock to Maka when she opened her eyes to find herself naked in the bathroom as she'd been moments before she'd blacked out. She sat up and remembered what was supposed to happen and what did happen. Maka glared at the useless bottle of pills in the floor that didn't do their job.

 _Is it so fucking hard to die or what,_ Maka hissed at herself. This was not her plan at all. Maka realized now that the water surrounding her barely moving body was not warm anymore. When she got out of the water, she quickly remembered Soul would be home early that morning.

"Shit," Maka hissed as she quickly drained the tub, proceeding to get changed into her normal weekend attire. She grabbed the empty bottle and rushed to her room, hiding it somewhere where she could find it again if it was needed at some point later in time for hiding things she shouldn't have.

By the time she heard the door to the apartment unlock, Maka was already dressed for school. Soul walked inside and said loudly, "Hey, I'm home!"

Maka opened her bedroom door and smiled. "Welcome back."

Soul asked, "Where's Blair?"

"I'm not really sure."

He gave a nod. Knowing Blair, she was off doing something weird or working. Either way, as long as she wasn't causing trouble, they were fine with it. Maka plopped down on the couch and Soul asked, "Is it my turn to make breakfast?"

"I can cook," Maka offered.

Soul shrugged and said, "No, it's cool. I can cook."

Maka nodded, flipping through the channels, trying to find something to watch. She concluded anime was perfect and she just watched that for some time. While Soul was cooking, Maka didn't notice the few glances Soul shot at her from the kitchen. She was normal again after only a week or so of the bullying seeming to stop. That was good... Almost too good to be true, but Soul tried to smirk at the fact she was doing alright as far as he knew. Maka could never really hide her emotions well, but Soul could easily see she wasn't exactly hiding her happiness. If only he could see the fact that she was smiling was because she felt a burning pain that helped her soothe down the rage and misery that she hid just to save everyone from dealing with her.

After a while, Soul called Maka to the table and they ate breakfast. Soul eventually went to get changed for school and Maka went ahead and started cleaning up. She waited for Soul to leave the room before she rolled up her sleeves and started washing dishes. She realized how stupid and reckless she probably was, but as long as she wasn't too careless, it didn't matter. Besides, she knew if Soul found out he'd get mad, and it seemed she'd already disappointed him enough. That was enough for Maka to feel terrible about herself.

After cleaning up and rolling her sleeves down again, Soul came out of his room and walked down the hall making sure his tie was tight. Maka picked up her school bag and Soul asked, "What time is it?"

"We should leave in about five minutes," Maka answered in her normal know-it-all tone.

Soul nodded and adjusted his school bag slung across his shoulder. He and Maka locked their apartment and left right on time, just like always, just as normal as ever. Maka walked with Soul to school, like always, putting on her best neutral face she could think of.

When they got to class, Maka read her book as usual, minding her own business. At that moment, she saw three unfortunately familiar faces walk up the stairs. Maka kept her eyes in her book, trying to ignore their presence. At that moment, she heard them sit behind her, like always. At that moment, she heard someone laughing extra loudly behind her and the words that came after that laughter made Maka snap.

"I know, right? What a fucking loser," Naomi mocked loudly, "it's not like she has any friends anyways. She's just a know-it-all. Still, she's pretty stupid."

Soul heard from across the room and he roared, "What the hell did you just say?"

Naomi and her friends all were paralyzed. Him, Patty, Liz, and Kid all walked closer to the cluster. Nobody was really listening and Black Star and Tsubaki were on their mission, so nobody else really cared. Kid hissed, "How dare you mock the symmetry of this girl, let alone the character!"

Liz and Patty both looked ready to fight. Liz said, "You girls lookin' to get your ass kicked if you say that stupid shit again."

Maka stood up, turning to her friends. She said bitterly, "I've got this."

Maka went to speak, but the Dr. Stein walked into the classroom. Everyone rushed to their seats just as he walked into the door, eyeing the weapons and meisters who were about to fight then and there in the classroom. He ignored it and class went on without another word.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Where the hell is she? She's supposed to be home."

"Come on, give the girl a break. She's only ten minutes late," Blair said calmly.

"She's never late," Soul said bitterly.

Blair was sitting on the couch, transformed into a little cat. Soul had been cooking dinner and it would be done in half an hour. If Maka wasn't home by the time he was done for dinner, he was going to go look for her. He tried not to think about anything bad that could've happened and continued cooking. At that moment, Blair hopped off the couch and said, "I'll go look for her being you're so worried about her."

Soul raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I care about Maka too," Blair answered simply.

Soul nodded and she jumped out their apartment window like she usually did sometimes. Soul kept cooking, avoiding the thoughts and irrational fears he kept having. She didn't really know that Soul really did care more than he'd probably ever admit, but Soul figured she might've already knew in some way; Maka was smart after all.

Once their pizza was done in the oven, Soul turned off the oven and called Blair. It had been thirty minutes. After a few rings, Blair answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, any luck?"

"No, nothing," Blair said with a sigh.

Soul nodded and said, "Alright, thanks. I'm about to head out and see where she is."

Soul and Blair searched for half an hour before returning home. Soul cursed as he opened the door. Blair sat down on the couch again and sniffed the air. She asked, "Soul, why do I smell blood?"

Soul's blood froze in his veins. He ran to the bathroom only to find it empty, by the medicine cabinet was wide open and torn apart it seemed. He ran to Maka's room, only to find the door was locked. Soul beat on the door.

"Maka, you home? Maka?"

No answer.

Blair waved her little wand and the door unlocked. Soul ran inside to see his meister lying on her bed, seeming asleep. He looked at her skin and looked for punctures or cuts and only found blood on the corner of her mouth. Soul was confused. Why wasn't she awake or yelling at him to get out of her room? Why didn't she answer?

At that moment, Soul felt weak and panicked. He could feel how weak she was. Soul yanked off her jacket and examined her arms, looking for anything that looked bad. It looked bad, very bad. Soul's eyes watered. He yelled, "Maka! Wake the hell up!"

Blair started crying as Soul dialed Dr. Stein. "Hello?"

"Dr. Stein, there's an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"Maka's soul is... It's barely there anymore. She's not waking up a-and it looks like she's been in a really, really bad fight," Soul said in one breath.

Dr. Stein said quickly, "I'll be right over. Keep her stable until I can see her."


	5. Author's Note - 4242017

Hey guys! It's me again, here to make a quick request and comment. First, thanks for the reviews, and please, if you have time, please leave reviews and I probably will reply back, and if not, PM me. I'm working on a **Blue Exorcist (a.k.a. Ao No Exorcist)** fanfiction if you're interested. Also, if you're into **SVTFOE** **(Star Vs. The Forces of Evil)** then please check out my completed, and like all my stories, depressing short story that is completed and all online.

Anyways, please leave reviews and tell me what you think, even if it's you sobbing in the corner because I'm hurting characters you like **(I don't blame you; no judgements)** just leave me stuff. I like getting reviews, so please leave them. Thanks so much for reading!

 **-xXstarryXnightXx** (Starry Night)


	6. Chapter 4

"Hey, Maka, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Tsubaki. Why?"

"Well, you seemed a little upset the other day," Tsubaki answered calmly.

Maka shrugged and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just stressed out a little."

Tsubaki smiled, believing her friend as they walked to class. When they got into class, Maka sat down at her seat and Soul sat beside her. Tsubaki sat beside Black Star, as usual. Black Star looked dead serious, which was nothing new, just slightly out of character. Tsubaki asked, "What's wrong Black Star?"

He grunted and said, "Megan is going to pay big time for what she did to Maka."

Tsubaki nodded. "Right."

He glared at Kidd, Patty, and Liz's seats, noticing they were empty. Black Star asked, "Huh, I wonder where those three are."

Tsubaki gave the empty seats a confused look. What could they be doing? After a moment, Dr. Stein walked into the classroom. The class went on as usual with everyone taking notes and dissecting a frog later on during class.

After the bell rang for lunch, Tsubaki and her meister walked out of the room with Maka and Soul catching up. Soul walked up beside Black Star and said, "Frog dissections are so not cool."

"Yeah, and it's boring as hell," Black Star concurred.

Maka walked beside Tsubaki and Maka asked, "So, how's the hunt been going?"

Tsubaki smiled warmly. "We're on her trail, we just need a few more days or so."

Black Star nodded and commented, "Yeah, but the stupid witch is hard to find."

Soul looked at Maka for a few seconds, but she didn't notice. Tsubaki knew Soul was worried about her, he had been for some time. Thankfully, she'd been acting like her old self again. He looked away from her and paid attention to where he was walking. The haunting memory of what happened days ago went through his mind once again.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _A few nights ago..._

Soul sat outside of the nurse's office, waiting for something, anything. When the door to the office opened, he saw Dr. Stein through the half open doorway. He said, "Sorry for the wait. She's ready."

He nodded and walked into the office. Maka sat up in the hospital bed, looking even paler than usual, if it were even possible, Soul didn't know. Dr. Stein said, "I managed to put stitches in her arm from where she got cut, I'll remove them in a week or two. Unfortunately, she's going to be covered in bruises for a week at the least."

Soul walked over to his meister and brushed his hand against part of her jaw that wasn't bruised. Maka's face heated up and Soul asked, "Maka?"

She looked at him. Her eyes made her look as if she hadn't slept in a week. The bruise on her cheek looked worse than the one on her jaw. Her bottom lip was split, which only made her look even worse. Soul's free hand balled into a fist. He asked bitterly, "Who did this?"

Maka looked down, trying to avoid his eyes. Dr. Stein said calmly, "Maka, it's better if you just spit it out now so that we don't have to run around in circles. Tell us what happened."

Maka sighed. "I went to the library and I got jumped, okay?"

Soul was calm for a moment. "By who?"

Maka said softly, "You know who."

Soul lost it in that moment. He wanted to rip the girls apart for laying a hand on his meister, but he had a policy on hitting girls, even ones who torment his meister and hurt her. Before Soul could start yelling and get mad, he felt his meister shiver under his hand. He looked at her, forgetting his rage and saw her empty eyes. She didn't want him to get mad, she didn't want him to worry, and even Soul knew getting mad wouldn't help at all.

Soul gently wrapped his arms around her, not knowing where she was bruised or hurt, but being careful anyway. He felt her body shudder, almost as if that in itself made her feel better. Maka put her head on his shoulder and Soul asked, "Maka?"

She didn't reply, she just wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her forehead moved on top of his shoulder. Dr. Stein said, "I'm filing a report tomorrow, Maka. This ends now."

Maka didn't object. Even if she had, Soul would have thrown a real fit and Stein probably wouldn't have listened anyways. Soul looked at Dr. Stein, who had a ponderous look on his face. He asked, "Can I take her home?"

Dr. Stein shook his head. "Not quite yet. I need you both to come with me. We need to see Lord Death."

Maka finally spoke. "Why?"

Dr. Stein said with a serious look on his face, "He needs to see what they've done, Maka. Do you think you can walk?"

Maka shrugged and Soul said, "I'll carry her."

Dr. Stein had gave Maka painkillers, so her mind and limbs were slow. Soul let her go and squatted down on the floor in front of her. Maka climbed onto his back and Soul stood up. Dr. Stein led the way as they walked quietly. Soul felt happy knowing she was alright. Her soul was so weak earlier, he thought she was on the verge of death, but Dr. Stein told him it was just her body going into shock from the gash on her arm from her elbow to her forearm. At that moment, Soul felt happy just to have his meister awake and conscious.

While they walked into the room and waited to see Lord Death, Soul felt Maka's body tense. She was scared. For what reason, Soul didn't know, but she probably thought that she was going to only get into more trouble with them filing a report. She was right, and even Soul knew that it probably would cause more problems, but he didn't want them getting away with what they'd done to her. Spirit was going to get really mad when they told him about what happened. Soul knew Spirit would see to it they get really harsh punishments for this. Maka didn't do anything wrong, she didn't want trouble, and yet, they tormented and tortured her. It wasn't right, not at all.

When they finally saw Lord Death by his mirror, Lord Death turned to him and greeted cheerfully, "What's up?"

Dr. Stein cleared his throat and said, "Lord Death, we have a problem."

The reaper walked forward and observed Maka's face. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Soul sat down with Maka leaning against his shoulder next to him. Dr. Stein stood behind them and they explained what happened earlier that night. Lord Death asked in a calm tone, "So they left you in the alley after they attacked you and you cut your arm on a piece of metal?"

Maka nodded limply, trying to stay awake. Dr. Stein said, "I'd like to file this and suspend the girls responsible for this."

"I think that's about right. Besides, we need to tell Spirit," Lord Death agreed.

Maka winced as she moved her arm a certain way. Lord Death said, "You two should go home. It's really late. You both have had a long night."

Soul nodded and Maka asked, "Do you have to tell Papa?"

Lord Death said, "I think he should know about this as soon as possible."

Soul carried Maka all the way home. She was so thin and light he had no problem with it. He was greeted by a worried Blair when he walked into the apartment. Blair asked frantically, "Are you okay, Maka? Who did this?"

Soul put his hand in the air, telling Blair to stop. She just backed off and said, "Right, well, you both need to get some sleep. I've got another shift, but I'll see you guys tomorrow."

She left moments later after Soul had carried Maka to her bedroom. It bothered Soul to leave Maka in her room after what happened. He asked, "Do you wanna sleep in the living room or my room?"

Maka said softly, "I'll be fine in here."

Soul said, "No, I'm not leaving you in here tonight."

"Soul... Please? It's okay," Maka whined in a sleepy tone.

He couldn't argue with her. She was tired and she needed to rest. Soul walked into her room and put her down in her bed. He pulled the covers to her chest and said, "Let me know if you need anything."

She nodded. "Thanks, Soul."

After Soul left, she was just laying there numbly, trying to feel the burning of pain. There was nothing but the burning of her misery. She laid there and waited from something, anything to happen to put her out of her misery. It hurt to breathe... It hurt just to lay there and breathe. She hated it. She wanted to scream, but instead, settled for lying in one place, holding back the breaking of not only her mind, but the wall of tears that wanted to burst just like her heart that was stabbed with every beat of her heart.

Crying would mean they won, and Maka wasn't going to let them win just yet. She, however, already let them get to her and get inside her head to make her despise and hate her own existence. She just... She wanted to be alone, to stay alone, to lay there and suffer alone like she usually did. Why did they have to hate her? What did she do to deserve to be hated and feel like she meant nothing to anyone and should just-

"No," she whispered to herself, trying to hush the harsh and cruel voices inside her head that kept screaming at her and spitting hate at her.

Wasn't it enough that they said cruel things that even she couldn't stand against? Why did her own mind go against her and put her into a hole that had only been dug because she kept falling face down into the dirt beneath her feet? Why couldn't she just get back up and walk away? Why did she have to lay there and take it? Why did she have to take any of it? Why couldn't they leave her alone? Why did she have to suffer with these questions and thoughts that made her hurt even more with every word? Why did she-

"Stop," Maka whispered to herself.

Finally, she rolled from on her side to face down into her pillow. She was face down in her pillow, trying to think of something, anything that could distract her from the thoughts and the hate that poisoned her mind. Her thoughts transitioned to Soul. He seemed to be the only person who understood her, who could relate to her. This time, he couldn't. Maka knew that much.

 _I don't know anything anymore,_ Maka thought, letting the exhaustion run through her body.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _Present time..._

Soul knew that something wasn't right about Maka even though she was acting normal. Soul wasn't blind to it, he could see it. There was something not right about the emerald eyed girl. Something about the eyes of the bravest girl he'd ever know, and most flat chested too, was all wrong. Soul remembered a skinny girl who looked ready to take on the world, but now, she looked as if she weren't in a rush to take on even an army of kishin eggs. It was almost as if all the light had been taken from her soul and turned into emptiness.

Soul could relate to the feeling of being hallow, empty, lifeless, and powerless against the world. He got up and ran as fast as he could to the DWMA and found Maka. Soul didn't know what was wrong with Maka that night, and Maka didn't tell him anything other than how her arm got cut and the attack in the alley. Soul wanted to promise her she'd be okay, that she'd be alright in the long run. He wasn't sure how to do so without making her mad or upset. Soul couldn't stand to watch it happen to her or think about it.

While he and the others walked with her to the cafeteria, Soul noticed some kids glaring at Maka as she walked into the cafeteria. Some snickered and some looked like they hated her. He tried to ignore them, but it made him really pissed. Maka kept walking down the hall, not seeming to notice the glares and the looks that made him so angry. Soul walked towards Maka and whispered, "Hey, Maka, don't you notice all the kids looking at you?"

She turned to them, only to see that they looked away quickly. Maka said quietly, "Ignore it, Soul. It's nothing."

Soul finally snapped. He growled, "How can you keep saying that?"

Maka froze in her tracks, looking at her partner. Tsubaki and Black Star both stopped too, watching the two of them. A few eyes wondered over to the group, but others just ignored the scene. Soul hissed, "When are you going to admit that something is wrong, Maka? What the hell has gotten into you lately anyway? This isn't cool."

Maka looked neutral for a moment, and then her face twisted into irritation. She said, "You think that all this pettiness bothers me? I honestly don't care."

"Liar."

"I am not."

"Yes you are! The Maka I knew wouldn't stand for this and she'd say something instead of just sit there and ignore it," Soul growled, "Now what the hell is going on?"

Maka said nothing. She starred at him. Tsubaki looked worried and uncomfortable with them fighting. She said, "Guys, let's all just calm down here."

Soul hissed, "No, you both know I'm right!"

Black Star didn't have to say it because Tsubaki's face said it all. Her face showed that of a knowing guilt that even she couldn't hide. Maka stared at her friends and asked softly, "What are you guys saying?"

Soul spat, "You're being stupid is what I'm saying. Tell me this doesn't bother you at all and mean it and I'll forget about it."

Maka was now inches from his face. She said bitterly, "It. Means. Nothing."

Soul scuffed, "Whatever."

He turned his back to her and walked away. Black Star and Tsubaki called after him, but he just kept walking. Maka watched them all go, and stood there, alone. Moments after she realized she may have just lost her best friend, she started running. Her feet didn't stop as she ran down the hall. When she ran passed the classroom, Dr. Stein heard her. He stood up quickly and walked to the doorway to see her run down the hall. He watched when she turned at the corner.

With every step Soul took to the cafeteria, he was more fed up with her lies. He knew she was lying and hiding things from him, and somehow, he felt like she had her own reasons, not fear. Part of him wished he'd never opened his mouth and he'd ignored the glares and stares of his classmates, but it was too late to take the words out of his mouth.

As her feet hit the floor with a thud every second, _stupid_ , she could hear a word with contact of the floor to her shoes. _Worthless_. She only tried to ignore it until she left the building. _Ugly_. She had to make it. _Useless_. By the time she got to the doors, these words filled her mind one-by-one of what described her. _Disgusting_. When the front doors to the school swung open, Maka finally heard the last word in her steps. _Pointless_.

Maka wasn't sure how long she'd been crying for, but however long it was, it was long enough for her to realize her habit was getting worse. Sitting in the floor of her bedroom, a pair of scissors and a knife in front of her, water droplets on the floor, and a broken image of a girl who was the bravest and strongest in many eyes were featured in the room. The red towel was just in case things got bad, or if Maka wanted to wash off her self-pity.

The blood ran across her skin like it had a few times before recently. Maka looked down at the lines against her skin that were red with blood and bled. For every insult, every flaw, and every bit of hate, there was a mark to count it all. Maka lost count of how many times, but she was sure it was thirty or something above twenty. They were mostly scratches rather than deep cuts, but they still burned and made her feel better. The pain fed her need to pay for her being who she was.

Maka sat there and thought of all the different things that she hated about herself, starting with her body. She was this frail and weak teen with little strength. She wasn't even close to pretty, she hardly had the few friends she managed to keep, and she just caused her own partner to get mad at her and walk off. Maka sat there silently, letting tears go down her pale cheeks that somehow weren't even red or puffy.

She wasn't sure what to do anymore. After all, there wasn't much she could do to begin with. She wasn't good at anything, she didn't want to do anything, and she just wanted to sit there and let her blood slowly drain from her body while her defying body let her strain without letting Maka get her way. She only could sit there and think about what she had done and what she could do. For hours, all she did was sit there and stare off into space and think about how many different ways she could be happy but wasn't.

When it was about time for school to let out, Maka hid away her sharp objects and curled up in bed. Her face was now hot and she felt cold. She couldn't cry anymore, she couldn't hurt anymore, she couldn't even think about the next day. The homework she'd meant to do was pointless, the work she'd have to make up meant nothing to her, and to make things worse, her own life didn't mean anything to her anymore.

 _That's right, isn't it? What's the point of living if you honestly don't care anymore? Why should I keep going? Why should anyone even put up with me anymore? It's not like I mean anything to anyone,_ Maka thought to herself as she curled into a ball.

Soul returned home later that afternoon when school ended. He knew he'd hurt Maka, but she would never leave school early, even if she were being dragged. He knocked on her bedroom door and asked, "Maka, you home?

He got no answer. "Maka?"

He finally opened the door to see his meister in bed, curled into a ball. Soul walked over and felt her forehead. She was burning up. Soul then realized Maka moved and was waking up. He moved back as Maka opened her eyes. She yawned, "Hey, sorry, I left early. I'm not feeling so great."

Soul said, "Yeah, you're burning up."

She nodded and shivered. Soul said awkwardly, "Anyways, I'm sorry about what I said earlier today. I just-"

"It's fine," Maka cut it.

Soul nodded and said, "Get some rest. You'll feel better by morning hopefully."

She nodded and Soul left the room after patting her head. When he closed the door, Maka felt the tears flood her eyes. She laid there in the silence and started crying.

 _What's wrong with me? Why do they have to hate me? Should I really just die? Would that entertain them? Would that make everything okay? I don't even know anymore, I don't care, I just want out of this hell,_ Maka cried out inside.

She wanted the blood to run down her arm, to feel the one thing that couldn't turn against her anymore than she let it. To control the action taken out against her and know that she can stop at any moment if she really wanted to. She needed to know that there was something that could tame her agony and soothe all the pain she felt; one thing she could do right when she knew all she did was hide herself from the world.

Maka sat up in her bed and started once again. This time, the more she kept going, the more she wanted to feel it. The blade stung against her skin like hot water, but at the same time, it felt like relief. The sting was dull at first and then she kept going and kept on feeling the sting grow more and more. She felt as if she were actually going to stop crying for a moment, and then she realized just how wrong it was that she was hiding her pain from everyone when it wasn't as hard as she thought. At that moment, Maka realized the sting didn't hurt anymore. She stopped and traced the bloody cuts across her leg.

Maka was smarter than to actually cut her arm after the last ones healed perfectly. She read online about how to hide it, so she decided she would hide it. She would just have to make sure nobody would see it when she sat down in class. After all, her skirt didn't go but to her to the middle of her thigh. She'd check later, but at the moment, she didn't care. She sat there crying, and she didn't care if Soul heard her or even cared, she just wanted to make a little noise to prove to herself she was still alive anymore. Maka wasn't even sure she was alive or human anymore.

She laid on the floor, looking up at the ceiling as she had done before, trying to think of her next move, her next plan of action. Maka looked up with her puffy face and thought to herself about how many different ways she could fix herself, if there were a way. She could've gone to Black Star and Tsubaki, but then again, that probably wouldn't work out well. Maybe she could tell Soul herself... If he didn't get mad and yell at her that is. Maka then wondered about Kid, Liz, and Patty. They seemed to be a somewhat perfect team, maybe they'd hear her out. Then again, though, they were gone that day in class, so they may have been on a mission for a little while.

Spirit? He'd just cry and freak out and get mad at her friends and the girls who were already in trouble. Dr. Stein? Maybe, but Maka knew he'd report to Lord Death. Maria? She actually may be the only person possible, but she'd tell her father and Lord Death. So, there was once again, no one.

She felt alone once again.

She was all alone...

 _Momma is gone... Papa is probably gone too... Soul will leave me soon enough. I am a terrible miester after all. I'm not supposed to keep secrets... But miester's have to protect themselves when their weapons can't. We must not only protect ourselves, but our weapons too. I guess this is for the best that I lay here and die,_ Maka thought morbidly.

While she laid there quietly and sobbed. She just wanted to destroy herself so bad at that moment when she realized how much she wanted it to happen; to stop breathing; to lay there and die. Nothing could've made her happier at that moment.

And yet, somehow, the worst had yet to come.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Laying in the white room full of heat and grief, Maka stared at the ceiling above her head, hoping nobody would realize where she was or what happened to her earlier that day in class. Maka wasn't sure how she ended up at this point; the point of feeling herself slowly slipping away. Her uniform looked bolder under the water with the small ribbons of blood floating to the top of the water.

Maka felt as if she were scared, but at the same time, she felt happy. Part of her wished things had been different, but she knew things wouldn't be different considering what happened earlier that day and how she still felt, lying in a tub of water and small trace amounts of blood. Maka felt like crying but she couldn't cry anymore.

Not this time.

Not ever again.


	7. Chapter 5

Maka made breakfast before Soul got up. Soul scolded her for it and told her to go back to be after she ate breakfast. Maka sat across from Soul at the table and Maka kept glaring up at Soul every now and then. For whatever reason, Soul felt her soul wasn't right. Maybe she really was just sick, but Soul knew something else was going on.

"Hey, Maka?"

She looked up from her plate at him again. "Yeah?"

"Are you really okay?"

She saw the concern in his eyes and Maka felt as if she were in a calmness that made her almost scared. She replied, "Yeah, I just don't feel great."

Soul nodded. "I figured. Get some sleep today, okay?"

Maka nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah, sure."

After eating and making small talk, Maka put her plate in the skin. She noticed the time and Soul got up from his chair. He said, "Alright, I'd better get going. See ya later."

Maka smiled in relief. "Bye, Soul."

He shut the door and left. When he did, Maka felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. It was finally time. Maka felt sad, but at the same time, she felt happy. Everyone could finally be happy, even Maka. She thought about this for a while, and after a few experiments on her own body and searching online, she knew just what to do. She had to get one last thing, though. She had all day to go get it, but she wanted there to be no chance of failure. She went to her room and put on some dark clothes. When she left the house, she made sure she wasn't being followed.

She walked down the several blocks that she knew none of her friends walked on their way to school. Maka literally mapped this out, she had this planned carefully to the T. She felt more alone and empty as she walked to her destination that would take her about fifteen minutes or so to get to. When she passed the few little children with their parents in the streets and the couples walking down the street, she knew there was nothing for her to really stay for or wait for. Most people lived for something, but she lost all of the means she had just to get up and go to school everyday.

What did grades matter? What did the bullies at school mean? Who of her friends wouldn't be better off with her dead? Why did she have to care? What did anything matter?

Nothing. Nothing mattered. This walk down the street meant nothing, her every breath, her very soul; it meant nothing. Maka finally arrived at her destination and went inside. She went inside the drug store and bought some migraine medicine. After she left the store, there was a voice laughing outside the building.

"Well, well, if it isn't the snitch," Naomi sneered from around the corner.

Maka didn't really care if she got beat up again. She was done caring. She said lowly, "Leave me alone."

Naomi grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her into the alley. When she did, Maka knew she was trapped. Maka was now officially scared. Naomi and her friends laughed as the kicked Maka all over.

"You're so ugly!"

"Fat ass!"

"You're a stupid bitch!"

"Kill yourself already!"

"Do it!"

Maka felt the tears well up in her eyes as every kick became an insult. After a while they stopped, realizing if they beat her anymore, they'd be in more trouble than they imagined. Naomi and her friends ran off yelling, "Don't forget to kill yourself, bye!"

Maka got off the ground and climbed to her feet. When she did, she rushed home, trying not to cry. This had to end, Maka would make sure of that. It was finally going to stop, it would end for good.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Soul couldn't help but think about Maka the whole day. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know how to fix it and she wouldn't tell him. Soul walked over to Black Star and Tsubaki before class started. Soul said, "Hey guys."

Black Star said, "'Sup, Soul."

"Hello, Soul," Tsubaki said with a smile.

Soul put his hands in his pockets and asked, "Can I ask you guys something?"

Tsubaki nodded and so did Black Star, both now having serious facial expressions. Soul asked, "What do you know?"

Black Star asked, "About what?"

"Maka. What's going on with her?"

Tsubaki and Black Star looked at each other, and then they both looked at Soul. Black Star said, "Soul, look, we all know what's wrong. Maka's depressed about those girls picking on her all the time."

Soul knew he was hiding something. "You know more than that."

Black Star stayed silent, but Tsubaki sighed. "We've noticed this for a while, actually. Months. It started a little while after Asura was defeated. Maka was normal for a while, but we kinda both noticed over time, she gradually just stopped doing things she usually did. She never really goes out, talks to us only at school for the most part, and she doesn't read as much as she used to."

Black Star knew Soul's angry look was at him. Black Star said, "I didn't wanna tell you, okay? Maka begged us not to either, and I respected her only for her reasoning."

"What reasoning?"

Black Star sighed. "I'm not sure if it's pride or just the idea that admitting to you there's something wrong, but Maka doesn't want you to carry her burden anymore than she can help. You saved her life once before, she's trying to save you some sanity it seems."

Soul stayed quiet, but eventually asked, "What the hell are you saying?"

Black Star said, "Meister's can't protect a weapon all the time. She's just trying to keep you away from something she can't even save herself from. She's lost all hope, all dreams, all meaning, and all her reasons to do things she used to do."

Soul felt as if he'd been punched in the chest. Why the hell didn't she say anything? Why didn't _they_ say anything to him before now?

"Why do you understand, Black Star?"

He looked at Soul and said, "You can protect her all you want, but as a meister, her pride gets hurt when she's not strong enough to take care of herself. We don't wanna tell anyone when we are fucked up mentally when weapons protect their meister's so much already!"

His eyes were full of pain, as if he'd known the same thing. Tsubaki looked at Soul and asked, "Where's Maka?"

"She said she wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home," Soul answered.

Moments after he spoke, he felt it. He felt the same pain in his chest again, but this time, he rubbed the spot on his chest, trying to make it go away. It didn't. All day, he felt the pain no matter what. When the bell rang, Soul felt relieved. He then felt empty, almost as if there were nothing around him, or inside him. He couldn't even feel...

Soul darted down the stairs and ran to the doorway. Tsubaki and Black Star ran after him and yelled, "What's wrong?"

Soul growled, "Maka's in trouble!"

The pair followed and then Kid and his two partners followed after seeing the three run down the hall to the front doors of the school. They ran down the stairs in what felt like moments, darting straight to Soul's apartment building. When they got to the door, Soul knocked anxiously, hoping Maka would answer. "Maka, it's me!"

No answer. Not a sound.

Soul unlocked the door with his key and ran inside. He looked around and saw a note on the table. He walked over quickly and picked it up. Everyone gathered around and Soul's heart dropped to his feet. He darted to Maka's room first, leaving everyone behind. She wasn't there, but her room was a mess. Soul ran to the bathroom, only to find it was locked. Soul pounded on the door.

"Maka, open the door!"

Nothing.

He kicked the door in with Black Star's help and the door opened with the broken knob on the floor, in pieces. Soul ran inside to see something horrific. Maka was lying in the bathtub, fully clothed, with a little bit of pink in the water. Soul quickly rushed over as the others were mortified in the doorway at the scene. Kid was calling Dr. Stein, Liz and Patty were not beside Soul, looking at the damage. Tsubaki was crying in the hallway with Black Star giving her a hug, trying to calm her down.

Liz cursed as Patty got a towel for Maka's gashed open arm that somehow wasn't barely bleeding. Soul looked around for clues to find a sink full of them. Bottles and bottles of different types of medicine and painkillers in the sink. Liz saw Soul pick up a bottle from the sink and she stuck her fingers down Maka's throat. Maka jerked awake and puked a little, still unconscious. Kid rushed into the room and he said, "Stein is on his way."

Soul felt Maka's cold hand and said, "She's barely there at all."

Kid said, "She'll make it."

Tsubaki was sobbing in the hallway as Black Star walked inside. He asked, "Why?"

Soul looked down and said, "This is my fault. I... I didn't know she was..."

Kid said, "Soul, you did everything you could. She just... Didn't tell anyone."

Black Star yelled, "Dammit! I knew better than to do nothing!"

Soul glared at him and said, "It's not your fault. You made a promise to her, I respect that."

Black Star looked grim and stayed silent as everyone else, even Tsubaki, sat in the room and waited for Dr. Stein. When he got there, nobody spoke but Soul. Dr. Stein said, "Thanks, kids. You may've just saved Maka."

At that moment, Soul felt his heart drop from his stomach to his feet, and then his knees to the floor. Dr. Stein brought over a small machine with paddles and rubbed them together. He said, "Clear!"

Soul's vision was getting blurry. He felt cold and empty. He saw Tsubaki and Kid kneeling beside him, trying to tell him something, but Soul didn't hear them.

"Clear!"

When he heard that, he felt something inside his soul get him off the floor. He looked at Maka as he could feel her weak soul wavelength was stable. Dr. Stein picked her up and rushed her out of the room with the defibrillator by the handle. He rushed out of the apartment with the other teens following. Soul saw Blair in the street, looking confused until she saw Maka. She was frozen in place. Soul saw the small van in the street and saw Dr. Stein put Maka on a stretcher. He collapsed the legs as he pushed her inside. Soul climbed in to see Naigus inside.

They rushed off as his friends rushed behind with Blair in the street, heading to the school. They somehow drove straight up the stairs to the school and right to the front doors. Dr. Stein and Naigus rushed Maka down the halls to the infirmary. Soul followed and waited outside anxiously. Soon enough, everyone else showed up, including Lord Death. He asked, "What's going on?"

Soul explained what happened as far as he knew. Lord Death said, "I'll contact Spirit and have him return as soon as possible. In the mean time, you kids should probably go home and calm down."

Soul shook his head. "No, I'm staying with my meister. This is my fault."

Lord Death replied, "As you wish. You all are welcome to do the same if you wish."

Nobody moved from where they were. Lord Death walked off. About an hour or so later, Sid walked up and demanded answers. Soul repeated the same story to him as he did Lord Death.

Sid asked, "Is that all?"

"As far as I know, yes," Soul answered.

She slid down against the wall and sighed. "This is all my fault."

Sid said, "Son, as a meister, I'm telling you that there are some things that you can't protect your meister from. Any other weapon will tell you that. Sometimes, the best you can do is be there when hell breaks loose."

Moments after he spoke, Naigus opened the door to the infirmary. She cleared her throat and said, "You can see her."

Everyone sighed with relief and Naigus said, "And Soul, Sid is right."

He nodded weakly as he walked into the infirmary with Naigus and the others following. When Soul saw Maka, he saw a girl dressed in the uncomfortable hospital outfit that made nobody look cool. He was just glad she was alive. He sat down beside her bed in a chair they put next to her. Dr. Stein walked in from the other room and said, "Well, she almost got away, but her body still had some fight left. Fortunately, we got to her in time."

Soul looked as if he were about to pass out. Naigus asked, "Soul, are you alright?"

He stared at his meister who was lying in the hospital bed beside him, unconscious. He didn't reply, he just stared at Maka. Dr. Stein said, "Also, there's something we need to talk about. It appears Maka has bruises that look relatively fresh."

Soul looked at Dr. Stein and asked, "What do you mean? Her bruises were gone last I checked and she's been home all day."

Naigus said, "Soul, we looked at them and they're not even a day old."

Soul looked at them and asked, "Are you saying Maka was attacked?"

"Well, yes, but this was hours before she ended up in the bathtub. We believe she left home, probably to buy the medicine she inhaled," Dr. Stein answered calmly.

Soul asked, "How long before she's awake?"

Naigus said, "We're not sure. Spirit will return tomorrow afternoon."

Soul muttered, "He's gonna kill me."

Sid spoke up and said, "Actually, he asked how you were doing. I told him you were hanging in there."

Soul nodded. That's how he felt, as if he were hanging on for dear life still. He grabbed Maka's hand and felt as if he were about to explode. At that moment, he snapped. Soul hung his head in greif. He almost lost his meister; his closest friend; part of his entire world. He laughed as he started sobbing. He yelled, "Dammit, Maka! Why the hell didn't you say anything? I would've understood! You don't have to hold the weight of the world by yourself! I'm your weapon, I'm supposed to protect you!"

His tears ran down his face and dipped onto the floor. He clutched her cold hand in his and said softly, "Don't you dare leave me."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"See anything?"

"No, not yet," Tsubaki answered.

Black Star huffed. They looked for hours for the girls. They had orders to bring them in. Sid told them to find the girls that were responsible for Maka's injuries and her suicide attempt. Black Star and Tsubaki knew from what Sid told them that the bruises on Maka's skin were from someone beating her up. There was no doubt in their minds about that. Kid, Liz, and Patty were on the other side of the city looking. There was no way those girls were getting away with this. Black Star had a policy on hitting girls, but Tsubaki was fired up.

She had this look of certainty, and at the same time, her eyes looked as if they were about to burst into flames with rage. Black Star knew she was pissed, and he was too. This was wrong, and they were going to pay for this dearly. He knew of one place he'd probably find them; outside the dormitory. They waited until they saw three girls walking out of the dormitory. Naomi laughed, "She's such a loser! I hope she's dead by morning!"

The other two laughed. Black Star glared at Tsubaki and she was already jumping down to the ground. Black Star followed, landing just as she walked forward to the girls who paid them no attention. Tsubaki hissed, "Hey!"

Naomi and her friends turned to her. Tsubaki hissed, "Naomi, Kelly, and Kiki, you're coming with us."

The one girl, Kelly, she laughed. Her brown hair and brown eyes were making Tsubaki mad just to look at. Tsubaki growled, "You're the ones who attacked Maka."

Naomi said sharply, "We haven't done a thing to her, moron."

At that moment, Tsubaki grabbed her by the collar and yelled, "What did you do to her?"

Black Star looked at the other two and said with a smirk, "You'd better fess up before she gets really mad."

Kelly and Kiki cried, "We did it, yes!"

Tsubaki looked at them for a moment and then dropped Naomi. Naomi ran over to her friends quickly and they shook in fear of the girl who never hurt a fly or raised her voice at anyone in school. Black Star said, "Good, now, you'll be coming with us and explain what the hell you did."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Maka wasn't sure what was going on anymore when she was sound asleep in the hospital. She was tired, like usual, but this time, she felt like she couldn't sleep no matter what even if she tried. She was in a pitch dark room, she searched around to find a source of light, only to find a bed frame. Moments after she grabbed it, she stood up, knowing where she was. She waited as she realized it was slowly getting brighter. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the change in light as she finally walked to the door. As the lighting got brighter, Maka noticed there was no color. She walked into the hallway and walked into the living room. She saw Blair sitting on the couch with the TV on. Blair turned and saw Maka. She stood up and said, "Maka, you're here. I've been waiting."

Maka was confused. Why was Blair waiting on her? What was going on anymore? Maka asked, "Am I dead?"

She was trying to be hopeful. Blair sighed and said, "If you were, you'd not be seeing in black and white. You're very much alive. Soul and the others found you. Soul knew what you'd done before he found you, he was just trying to convince himself it was a lie. He thought you were dead, but, you weren't that far gone yet."

Maka frowned. "Are they okay?"

Blair asked, "Do you honestly care? After what you did, do yo honestly think they're okay? No, even better, why do you care _now_? You sure didn't care when you decided to kill yourself."

Maka flinched. She was right. Maka asked, "Why are you saying this to me?"

Blair hissed, "It's obvious you don't care, Maka! If you did, none of this would be happening. IF you hadn't failed, you'd be dead and not listening to me!"

Maka felt like crying at that moment, but she ignored the feeling. This was her mind, her subconcious, her soul, all of it was attacking her for what she'd done. Before she could say anything else, Maka heard a voice say, "Ignore it, Maka."

She turned to see Soul. He, too, was lacking in color. Maka asked, "Are you real?"

Soul nodded. He walked closer to her and said, "Yeah, unlike her, I'm not telling you what a failure you are because you got saved. I'm here to wake you up."

Maka shook her head. She crossed her arms and said, "No, leave me alone, Soul. I've done enough."

Soul hissed, "Maka, enough of that. We need to talk. Now."

She sighed and walked to the kitchen table. She sat across from him, looking him in the eyes. He asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

He huffed. "Why didn't you tell me how bad it was? I'm your partner, Maka. You're not supposed to keep things like this from your partner."

Maka just shrugged. Soul tried to wrap his head around this. Maka could feel his soul; he soul was present and connected with hers. Soul sat there quietly, waiting for Maka to say something, anything.

After a little while, Maka spoke. "How is everyone?"

Soul sighed. "Well, Dr. Stein is his usual self, Lord Death is about the same, Tsubaki is possibly responcible for three murders, Black Star is pissed, Liz, Patty, and Kid are shocked. Oh, yeah, and your father is upset. Dr. Stein is having those girls who beat the crap outta you expelled, and Blair is upset too."

Wow, that was a lot of detail. Maka asked, "What about you?"

Soul starred at her with a frown. "How do you think?"

"Upset."

Soul scuffed, "That about sums it up."

"Are you mad at me?"

Soul glared at her. "Yes and no."

Maka was clearly confused, so he continued, "I'm mad because you haven't been telling me a damn thing and at those little bitches for what they've said and done. At the same time, I can't be mad at you."

Maka was shocked. Soul looked ready to either cry or punch the table. He said bitterly, "I can't even protect my own meister from being picked on, I can't stop her from trying to kill herself, I can't even be there for you. If I had just kept trying to get an answer from you, maybe this wouldn't be happening."

Maka was already crying. She lowered her head and whispered, "It's my fault, Soul. I didn't want you to know, I didn't want to be a burden or-"

Soul snapped, "Don't you dare think that, Maka! You're my best friend and my partner, not a burden!"

She flinched. Soul noticed and he calmed down, hoping he hadn't made her feel worse or made her upset. Maka sniffled and asked, "Can you please forgive me?"

Soul said, "On one condition."

She looked up at him. Soul said, "Promise me you'll never do this again."

Maka knew she couldn't guarantee anything at this point. She said, "I'll do my best."

Soul sighed and said, "I guess that's better than nothing. That'll do for now."

Maka's face felt hot when Soul added, "Also, in case you care, you're going to be just fine. That is, after you explain what happened when Naomi and her pals beat the hell out of you."

Oh great, he found out about that. Maka said, "It's not a big deal. You said I'm fine, right?"

"Physically, yes. Mentally, you're screwed," Soul said calmly.

She already knew that fact before he pointed it out to her. Soul asked, "So, do you really want to know how things are going to go after you wake up?"

Maka nodded, trying to face the facts head on. She knew this wasn't going to be good from Soul's straight face. "What's going to happen?"

Soul answered, "First, Marie is going to be your new shrink for a little while until the decide what's going on inside that head of yours. Second, you're in isolation for the next week, which mean no visitors. Finally, you'll have to answer to Lord Death, Sid, Marie, Naigus, and your father."

Maka cringed at the idea of explaining all of this to everyone, especially her father. This was just great. Maka hoped things would change for the better.

But, once again, her hope was destroyed.


	8. Author's Note - 1082017

Hey guys!

I haven't been updating (please don't kill me). I'm a senior in high school so I'm constanly busy with work but please know an update will be here soon!


	9. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It had been two months after the "incident" and Maka had been put on antidepressants and made her see Marie every week; usually on Wednesdays. Her grades showed nothing was wrong at all. Soul tried talking to Maka about the things that bothered her. She tried to tell him, but it felt as if a bullet hit her pride every single time. She was supposed to be strong and meant to protect her weapon and be able to surpass anything bad. Soul tried to understand and convince her that it wasn't wrong or weak to need help from others when there was something that she couldn't bare alone.

Soul knew she was better but not the same. He knew she was different, but it didn't change a thing between them besides the fact that Soul kept a close eye on her when she was acting really weird. She had her good days and her bad ones. She had a stable mood most of the time, but what he didn't know what what happened behind closed doors. Maka still had her habit; she just kept it hidden from Soul. She got creative about how she did it, so she didn't have to worry about that. There was something that she needed to do, something that made her feel as if she were doing nothing important but waiting to pass the time.

Maka was laying on her bed when the thoughts got bad again. There was nothing for her; she should just killer herself, right? That's how she felt and she thought it was a true statement to make. She would come home and do her homework. Afterwards, she'd lay on her bed and stare at the ceiling if she had nothing else important to do for school.

A thousand knives hanging over my head; I just wish I was dead. All that's said is all I hear, Maka thought in her head. She realized that sounded good and picked up her purple notebook she wrote dark things in and wrote the words down and continued to write them.

 _ **A thousand knives hanging over my head,  
I just wish I were dead.  
All that's said is all I hear.  
Never fear, bottles empty one-by-one for me.**_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _Maka lifted her head off the pages she'd somehow passed out writing. She paused for a moment and looked at the words. Why did things like this just pop up in her head? Was this something to fear, or was it something to be expected? Marie told her that letting these thoughts control her was probably not a good idea, but Maka couldn't help it. Soul tried to help, and Maka faked her happiness better by the day. There's a smile, there's a slight tone of blue as well, but it was still her. Soul seemed to believe her act, but Maka wasn't sure how much longer he could buy into it. She wanted to see Soul happy, no matter what it took to make sure he knew nothing about what went on inside her head._

 _At night, it was a living nightmare for Maka. She could only sleep during the day and she honestly couldn't feel tired enough to fall asleep as it was. There was something that just didn't line up in her head. The thoughts were sinister and made her feel... Numb._

 _You know, this really fucking sucks. Why am I even here? Why do I lay on this bed everyday and look up at the ceiling? Do I really hope for an answer to fall from the sky and make everything okay? Nothing will ever be okay, there is nothing left for me; I'm a failure, Maka thought to herself._

 _While she was swimming and sinking into her deepest thoughts, a knock came on her door._

" _Hey, Maka? You busy?" Soul's voice questioned loudly from behind her bedroom door. Maka sat up and made sure she didn't look like a total mess._

" _Not at all, come in," she replied back._

 _Soul turned the handle and entered the room. Maka turned on her bedside light and asked, "What's up?"_

 _Soul scratched the back of his head and said, "I just wanted to know if you wanted to eat out. I know it's your night to cook."_

 _Maka shrugged. "Sure, why not."_

 _He nodded and smirked. "Alright, get dressed, tiny tits."_

 _Maka laughed and threw the book on her nightstand at him. "Shut up, Soul! All have you know, I do have tits!"_

 _Soul snorted and began hysterically laughing. He laughed, "You said tits!"_

 _Maka's face heated up and she hissed, "Whatever, just get the hell outta here so I can get changed out of my Pjs."_

 _Soul managed to gather himself and leave the room. Maka quickly got dressed in black jeans and a red and black shirt. She put on her black flats and grabbed her phone before she left the room. She walked down the hall to find Soul waiting on her with his motorcycle keys in his hand. As they went to exit the apartment, Maka couldn't see that Soul was plotting something in the back of his mind. He did want Maka to be happy and did surprise her every now and again with something. Shortly after they left their building, Maka sat quietly with her arms around Soul's waist as they drove down the street to wherever the hell Soul decided; not like Maka even cared to begin with._

 _By the time they got home, Maka and Soul were smiling and making small talk. Eventually, the front door opened and when Maka walked in after Soul, she could hear yelling._

" _You misogynist pig! Get the hell outta here!"_

 _Spirit begged, "Sweetheart, I love you and Maka with all my heart! I won't do it again, I swear!"_

" _You always say that and it's always a bunch of lies! Get out!"_

" _B-But sweetheart, I-"_

" _Now, Spirit!"_

 _Maka could see the figures standing in the room. There stood a tall blond woman with what seemed to be a work uniform. Maka walked closer and a voice said in a monotone, "They always fought; even on the best days."_

 _Maka chocked for a moment. In the corner of the room, she saw the bloody image of herself from the night from months ago. Her wrists were slit and her uniform was stained in it. Maka felt sick just looking at her. She asked softly, "W-Why are you here?"_

 _The bloody girl from the corner of the room laughed while she sobbed. "I honestly don't know what you want me to say. Die already! Put me out of my pain you fucking bitch!"_

 _Maka's eyes filled with tears as she looked away. There wasn't anything that could save her from this nightmare. She just wanted to wake up and get the hell out of that place. She was better, stronger, and recovering like she was supposed to. There was no way she was going to screw up everything she'd done. The bloody Maka screamed, "Kill me!"_

Maka grabbed her mouth before she could let out her scream. Instead, she screamed into her hand and rolled onto her stomach into her pillow. She sobbed and kept her head down. Why her? Why did she have to keep having the same nightmares over and over again? She ran to the one thing that made her feel better. She lifted up her shirt and grabbed a piece of glass that Soul didn't know she had. She practically stabbed into her stomach, but it was just enough to pierce her skin. It was the perfect attack.

Maka dragged the glass across her stomach and just kept doing it for a while. After what felt like a week, Maka had finished mutilating herself. She counted about thirty cuts, but she wasn't for sure because there were some that looked separate from the lines she carved. Maka hid the glass as soon as she was done. When he was sure that Soul wasn't in the hall or living room, she went to the bathroom to clean her cuts. She almost cried as she put rubbing alcohol on her wounds, but she managed to keep her cries of agony to herself.

She sat in the floor and thought about what she was doing. She was doing so well, but she fucked up again. Why did she have to keep going back to her old habits she was trying to get rid of? Why wouldn't the nasty thoughts and irrational feelings go away?

Maka wasn't even sure if she should keep going to see Marie anymore. Well, she honestly had no choice. She kept the voices silent long enough to try and clear her thoughts of her hate and disgust. When she tried this, a knock came from behind the door.

"Hey, Maka? You in there?" Soul asked from the other side of the door.

Maka replied back, "Yeah, Soul. I'll be out in a sec."

Later that morning, they arrived at school and went to their usual EAT classroom. When they sat down, Dr. Stein was waiting in his chair. When everyone arrived, he stood and said, "Good morning, class. Before we begin our lesson today, I need your attention for a special announcement."

Everyone was silent as they waited for him to continue. He cleared his throat and said, "Lord Death has requested all students be screened for the following symptoms if they have occurred in the past three months. These symptoms include, but are not limited to; depression, suicidal thoughts, harming yourself, thoughts of harming yourself, feeling worthless, and extreme sadness. We understand that this does not apply to all students, but if you have one of the problems listed and it has started within the past three months and has not went away or changed, you are being asked to step out into the hallway at this moment."

A voice chimed, "Hey, Maka! You heard him, get your fat ass outside!"

Dr. Stein glared up at the few kids in the row behind Maka and Soul. They were all giggling and someone else in the room said, "Yeah, you freak!"

Maka's face turned red as she rose and the class started laughing, all except for her friends. Soul stood up and yelled, "Shut up, you assholes!"'

Maka climbed onto her desk and lunged across the room. She landed a few feet from Dr. Stein's desk. Once Maka's feet hit the floor, she started running out of the room. Black Star yelled, "Who the fuck wants to fight? Come on!"

The room went silent as he and Soul gave glares of death to everyone in the room. Kid, Patty, and Liz stood and Dr. Stein barked, "Someone, go get Maka!"

The trio ran out of the room. Tsubaki stood up and tapped on Black Star's shoulder lightly and she said, "Black Star, please, let's not do this right now."

He huffed and Dr. Stein said, "Black Star, Tsubaki, and Soul, go get Maka and report to Lord Death."

They all rushed down the stairs. Before they left, Dr. Stein made them pause as he hissed, "All of you will have detention for the next three days! I do not tolerate this from any student!"

The three left quickly after he started yelling again and rushed down the hall. Soul's heart was pounding in his chest as he finally collected his mind. He just wanted to punch all of them in the face for about a few moments. As he ran being Black Star and Tsubaki, he felt something horrible in his chest. Something wasn't right. It was the same feeling he got when they found Maka in the bathtub. He paced himself as he ran up the hallway.

When they turned left, they saw Maka start punching the wall over and over again. She was crying and biting down on her lip so hard it was about to bleed. Soul felt as if something inside him was being crush slowly in his chest as he stood there with Black Star and Tsubaki, watching Maka carefully. There were no words for what was going on. Soul slowly walked towards Maka with caution as he watched her sob against the wall. She punched the wall again and slid down the wall to her knees, leaning against the wall.

Black Star and Tsubaki stayed behind Soul, watching Maka with pity and shock. Soul didn't understand what was going on anymore with Maka. One minutes, she seems fine, and then somehow, someone or something throws her back into her own dark despair. Soul realized there was something just not right about Maka's soul. He never noticed it until Maka almost died. Now, he felt the same amount of pain in her soul. He wanted her to tell him everything, but he had only one chance to do it.

When Soul approached Maka, she said, "Go away, Soul. Please."

"No. Not again."

Maka looked at him with her pink face and asked, "What do you want me to do? Go back to class?"

Soul sighed. "No, we're going to see Lord Death."

"No," Maka breathed out.

Soul was surprised to say the least. Maka had never refused to go see Lord Death, even if it were optional. This isn't his Maka anymore; this is the Maka that has evolved from the hate of others and hate of herself. Soul said, "Maka, you aren't you anymore. I'm not sure what the hell is wrong with you, but I know this isn't you."

Maka laughed coldly and retorted, "I just never let it get this bad. I've always been this way. There's no need for me anymore."

Soul felt the pain get worse. Finally, he grabbed Maka's shoulder and said, "You have no choice. We're going to see Lord Death now."

The blond girl climbed to her feet and started walking. Black Star and Tsubaki both knew that this wasn't anything good if Soul was making Maka do anything. Maka and Soul's roles were reversed, and it was unnatural in the balance of their partnership. Maka sighed as they walked down the hallway, but kept her hateful thoughts to herself. The thought that Maka was seriously going to lose it was a thought that was more of a predestined event to Soul. She couldn't hold onto this silence for long and she'd be forced out of it if Soul could help it. It was almost like the madness inside her was trying to destroy everything she was and stood for.

While Soul kept thinking about what was going on, he noticed that Maka seemed somewhat nervous aside from being upset. He could sense it just by looking at her body language. As they walked towards Lord Death's room in the DWMA, Maka's body language was starting to change. She seemed to slowly become relaxed and cautious about her behavior. When Soul opened the door to Lord Death's room, Maka calmly walked inside as Black Star and Tsubaki followed her inside. Soul closed the door and walked with them under the arches that lead to the middle of the enormous room. They approached the shinigami as he greeted cheerfully, "Hey, what's up?"

Soul, Tsubaki, and Black Star stood in a row behind Maka. Soul spoke up and said, "Dr. Stein told us to come here."

Lord Death said, "Ah, I see. Well, there are some things that I'd like to discuss with all of you. So, if you'd like, sit down."

Nobody sat down on the floor, but they all stared at him with patience. Lord Death cleared his throat and said, "It would seem that Meghan has been lost for the moment. We cannot find her location or even find a hint as to where she may be. I was wondering if you and Maka would like to assist in the finding of Meghan?"

Soul looked at Black Star and Tsubaki. He asked, "Well, what do you guys think?"

Black Star smirked and said, "It would make our job a hell of a lot easier."

Tsubaki nodded and said with a smile, "Yeah, it would be great if you could help us out."

Maka asked, "Why us? What about Kid, Liz, and Patty?"

"They're busy on another assignment," Lord Death answered with a shrug.

Soul asked, "How exactly can we help out here?"

Lord Death looked at Maka and said, "Well, Maka could possibly find her soul wavelength if she's close by easily. Besides, Meghan is very dangerous, therefore, we think it would be best if we had more than two students working on this."

Soul didn't want to say it, but he stated anyways, "Sir, what about Maka? Meghan is generally attracted to Maka's pain and suffering. What if it makes things worse for her?"

Maka barked, "I'll be fine, Soul! I'm not useless, you know."

He defended, "I'm just looking out for you is all. Jeez, I never said you were useless and you're not useless."

She shrugged off his statement and dropped the subject. Lord Death continued, ignoring what they'd just said, "Anyways, we need you kids to find Meghan ASAP. You start tonight."

"Yes sir!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A woman dressed in all black and a strange hat walked down an alleyway the afternoon Soul and Maka were assigned to destroy Meghan. This woman wore heels, but when she walked, there was no sound. The sadistic smile on her face showed there was something going on in her mind. She could feel a strong sense of despair and agony nearby, and it was a a new source. She approached with caution as she remembered that the DWMA was on the hunt for her. It was ironic that they were so strong and resourceful and yet failed to track her down. The negativity fed her and drew her out from her lair quickly. As she drew closer to her target, she noticed that there was something strange going on around her.

It was amusing to her than they honestly thought she was going to let them take her away. This was going to be fun. Meghan walked to the end of the long alley and saw nothing. Suddenly, from the roof of the building next to her, a girl in a long black coat holding a scythe rushed down at her. Meghan chuckled as she moved out of the way.

Maka landed, kneeling on the ground with Soul in her hand. The witch had never seen a scythe of that coloration. Meghan said, "My, my, my little snack has arrived."

Maka had her poker face on at this moment. She stood up and pointed her weapon at her. She said, "Meghan, you days of feeding of people's misery is over."

The woman laughed softly and said, "Ah, well, you'll find it's harder than you think to get rid of me, little girl."

Maka rushed forward and swung her weapon at her. Meghan dodged last minute and realized that there was something going on. She felt... Weaker?

"What the hell is going on here? Why can't I feed off you?" The witch hissed.

Maka had a trick up her sleeve and the witch knew it. Maka said, "No more. I refuse to feed evil."

Meghan scuffed, "You shall be my little pet when this is over."

Maka's face twisted in anger as she rushed forward. She stopped on one foot and swung once again at the witch dressed in black. This time, she sent the point of her weapon through Meghan's back and out her abdomen. She gagged and splat blood on the ground. She growled, "You little bitch!"

She turned into nothing but a shadow and ran around Maka. Before Maka could realize it, there was something lodged into her stomach. Meghan had a bitter look on her face when she felt the girls blood run down her arm. Maka couldn't react; all she could do was howl in pain. Soul cried, "Maka!"

She fell onto the ground, twitching and holding her wound. Soul transformed into his human form and looked at Meghan. She shook off some of Maka's blood from her hand that pierced the small girl's flesh. Meghan said, "You know, if you give her to me, I'll go away."

Soul said bitterly, "You'll not lay another hand on my meister."

Meghan laughed. "Sweetie, I don't have to hurt her. She can do that on her own."

Soul looked confused. Meghan laughed and said, "Oh dear, it looks like your little lady friend didn't tell you what she does when you leave the house in the afternoons and what she does in the bathroom at school."

Soul looked at Maka, who was still bleeding and bleeding a lot. He said nothing as he knelt down beside Maka to see her wound. Meghan asked, "What? Did she tell you?"

Soul glared at her darkly and said, "Fuck off."

Meghan laughed and said, "Look at her scrawny arms, Soul."

He didn't care at that moment, but he did try to grab Maka's arm. She weakly fought him, but she had no strength to stop him. He grabbed her wrist and yanked up her sleeve. There were a few scratches and cut on her arms. He sighed and Maka looked at him like a helpless puppy. He said softly, "Maka, it's okay. I promise."

She started to get back onto her feet once again. Soul helped her and she looked at Meghan with a look that could easily show her rage. Soul transformed as Maka grabbed his arm. She swung his weapon form at Meghan, who flew backwards a few feet in retaliation. Maka rushed forward and swung again. Meghan frantically dodged her, but she got hit a few times. Eventually, Meghan got hit in the shoulder. She cried out and fell to the ground. Maka stood above her and said, "Your soul is mine."

Meghan laughed weakly. "Never."

Maka swung her weapon one last time and Meghan's head flew off. When it did, a purple soul sat on top of where her body once was. Maka let out a deep breath and fell to her knees. Soul transformed back once again and sat next to her. He asked, "You okay, Maka?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just... We need to report to Lord Death."

A voice said from behind them, "No need."

Maka and Soul turned quickly and saw Dr. Stein. He said, "I thought I heard a fight going on. Congratulations, kids."

Soul nodded and Dr. Stein said, "Come on, before Maka bleeds to death."

Soul and Maka stood up and started walking behind Dr. Stein with Meghan's soul to the school. As they walked towards the school, Maka felt a lot better than she usually did. She felt glad Meghan was dead and she felt like she was starting to lighten up a little, but she didn't know for sure if that was what was going on. More or less, she felt as if there was something just not right about everything going so well.


	10. Author's Note - 12272017

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but I finally finished Chapter 6. I hope the wait was worth it, and also, my RWBY fanfic Red Fades Blue will continue past the short story I posted. This is probably a waste of a chapter, but you know, whatever.

Let me know what you think so far in the chapters and thanks for reading!

-xXstarryXnightXx


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